The 76th Hunger Games
by RunningfromDarkness
Summary: The Districts never won.  The 76th Hunger Games is promised to be the best one yet.  Katniss is just watching,but a certan somone is called to be a tribute.  She struggles to find hope as the one she loves dearly is on the verge of being lost forever
1. The Lost Fight

**Hey everyone! I've been in a Hunger Games mood lately, so excited for the movie, and just had to write this story! **

**Warning: If you haven't read Mockingjay, I don't recommend reading this. Not only are there spoilers, you probably won't understand parts of it. **

**Basically, the story's like this. What if the Districts hadn't won the Rebellion? I've seen tons of alternate endings based on when they did win, but what if they didn't? The story starts around page 207, when they're firing on the Nut to destory it. The only main difference is Haymitch is in one of the hovercars, not in District 13. I hadn't planned for the story to be really long, but it's going to wind up being many chapters, something I realized as I started writing. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Suzanne Collins. I do not make money off of this! If I did, would I be sitting in my bedroom torturing Katniss? I think not!**

From where I was standing on the roof, I could see what Beetee meant about not being able to control the avalanche. Tons of rock and dirt surged down the mountainside, and I could only take a guess at the mayhem going on inside the Nut. "Katniss, get inside. Just in case the Capitol decides to try something." Haymitch said in my ear. Quickly, I descended the ladder, Boggs and a few other soldiers behind me. Soldiers were running towards District 2's plaza, the center of town. Gale was among them, but I didn't volunteer to go. I could see why we needed to do the plan; I just didn't really like it. So many people would be mourned today. So many lives lost. But then again, the Capitol had done that, and worse. The Hunger Games were proof of that.

I was deep in thought when the shots started ringing out. I didn't think much of it, besides the fact that I didn't think people would have been able to get out of the Nut as quickly as they did. And then the shouting started.

"It's an ambush! There's soldiers on the ground waiting for us!" Someone shouted.

"To the hovercars! Retreat, retreat!" Someone else ordered, and our soldiers began rushing past us, hurrying to evacuate District 2. There was an ambush? I had no idea what was going on, and stumbled backwards, trying to avoid the people running past me. Lights burst on, and I could see Peacekeepers running towards in the distance. Hovercars flew over, and shots continued to split the air.

"Up Mockingjay!" Boggs voice sounded behind me, as he yanked me to my feet by my arm. He pushed me roughly towards the hovercars, a few soldiers gathering around me as bodyguards. I started to run, but something, or rather, someone, caught my eye.

Gale, clutching his arm, blood seeping through his lower pant leg, stumbled towards us. One of the people from District 12 was holding onto him, keeping him upright.

"Gale!" I cried, shoving through the mass of people.

"Katniss, no!" Haymitch's voice sounded in my ear. "Get to the hovercars!" But I ignored him. I had to get to Gale. The soldier who was holding onto Gale got caught in the crowd, and he lost his grip on Gale. Gale, suddenly having no one to help keep him upright, tripped, and fell to his knees.

"Gale!" I screamed again, vaulting to his side.

"Katniss, go. I'm expendable, you're not!" Gale said through clenched teeth.

"Katniss, you have 5 seconds to turn around, and get to the hovercar! Someone else will help Gale!" Haymitch snapped. I ignored them both, and got Gale to his feet. Despite him telling me to go, he leaned heavily against me as soon as he was upright, and I could see a couple bullet wounds, as well as cuts. I pulled his arm across my shoulders, and we limped forward.

Boggs, who was clearly angry, strode forward, and took Gale's other arm. He didn't say anything to me, though I could see he was seething. But at the moment, he knew better than to tell me to leave Gale. More soldiers crowded around us, and shots rang out again. We pushed forward, finally reaching a hovercar. Boggs shoved me inside, and helped me get Gale in as well. Haymitch was in the car, glowering at me. But I paid no attention, Gale being my upmost concern at the moment.

A couple more soldiers jumped in, and the hovercar lifted into the air, and took off. Haymitch continued to glare, while I took a look at Gale's injuries. His head was in my lap, and he was wincing a bit.

"What happened?" I asked Boggs.

"They made us think they hadn't spotted us. They guessed what we were trying to do, and arranged an ambush to be waiting for us on the ground. The minute all the hovercars had landed, they opened fire. They swarmed us, and the only thing we could do was retreat. "Boggs replied shortly, still furious with me.

He passed me some bandages, which I pressed on Gale's injuries. Thankfully, his upper body hadn't been hit, erasing any danger of injuries to his internal organs. But his arm and leg had been, and he had a blow to the head, as well as a countless cuts and bruises. As I applied pressure on his leg, a small gasp escaped him.

"Sorry. Hang in there, okay?"

"You're…the stupidest…person I ever…met. Shouldn't…have gone…back to…get me." He got out.

"Shut up, and let me work on you. You really expected me to stand by and watch while you fell, and got trampled?"

"No…expected you…to run…"

"Oh shh. Save your energy." I wrapped the cloth tightly around his leg, then moved to his arm.

"He has a point." Haymitch spoke up. "We wouldn't have left him behind. And besides, we can replace him. We can't replace you."

I gave a furious look to Haymitch. "He can't be replaced."

"Katniss, I know what he means to you. Especially with Peeta the way he is, but in terms of the war, he can be replaced. We can't just find ourselves another Katniss."

I knew Haymitch had a point, but still. That was my best friend lying there for goodness sakes!

"Katniss, you need to learn to follow orders. Next time, if you disobey, you may not be allowed to come anymore. Especially now, since we just lost a major battle. We may not get a chance to get the Nut again, but if we do, I can't have you, or anyone else messing it up by not following orders. Understood?" Boggs said. I stared at him for a moment.

"I can't just stand by if someone I care about like Gale is hurt."

"We were already trying to get to Gale. A couple other soldiers were reaching down to help. Trust me, Gale wouldn't have gotten left." Haymitch responded.

"I get it Haymitch. Just…tell me you understand why I did what I did."

Haymitch let out a long breath. "I do Katniss, I really do, but it doesn't make it right."

I gave a small nod, and turned back to Gale. His forehead was sweaty, his pupils dilated. The gash on his head was continuing to bleed, and I pressed a clean cloth to try and slow it down.

"It's his head injury that's worrying me the most." Boggs said, kneeling down by Gale. "It doesn't look good."

"Will he be okay?"

"We'll just have to wait and see what the doctors say." I looked back down at Gale, fear filling my eyes. He noticed, and gently reached a hand up to brush my cheek.

"Takes more than a cut to stop me Catnip. I'll be fine." He said, with a half-smile. I gave him a smile in return, and brushed his hair out of his eyes.

The minute we landed back in District 13, a team from the hospital hopped on, and got Gale on a gurney. In a matter of seconds, he was whisked inside, and taken to the hospital. Around us, hovercars were landing, and soldiers were getting taken inside to be treated.

Boggs hopped out, offering me a hand to help me down. I took it, and jumped to the ground, Haymitch right behind me.

"I've gotta get to a meeting. Find out what our next plan of action is." Boggs said.

"Should I come?" I asked.

"No, you'd be welcomed, but you need to get yourself checked out, and you'll probably want to be with Gale. You look fine to me, but nobody takes things that have to do with the Mockingjay lightly."

If it wasn't for Gale, I might have protested, after all, I was fine, and wanted to know what we would do next. But I needed to be with him. So I nodded, and hurried to the hospital. As soon as I arrived, a doctor came over, and said I needed to be examined. Though I felt fine, I knew protesting would only get me in trouble, so I followed him to the examining room. After him, and a couple nurses went over every inch of me, and declared me to be fine, I was allowed to put on my usual clothes, and leave. Once I reached the waiting room, I inquired about Gale, and was told that he was in surgery, but that I would be notified of any changes.

I sat down in a chair to wait, making knots with my rope to pass the time. Finnick walked in a few minutes later, dressed in the usual District 13 clothes.

"I heard about Gale. He's strong though. He'll pull through." He said, sitting down by me.

"I know, I just can't help but worry."

"Good thing you have that rope then." I gave a small laugh, and Finnick kept me company while I waited for news on Gale. We passed the time with idle chatter, and making knots. Finally, a nurse walked over.

"The surgery went fine. He'll spend several days here, but he'll make a full recovery."

A wave of relief washed over me. "Can I see him?" The nurse nodded.

"I'll wait here." Finnick said, and following the nurse, I entered Gale's room. He was lying on a bed, a bandage around his forehead, arm, and leg. A few other cuts had been stitched, and he was wearing a hospital gown; a blanket wrapped around him. I stood by his bedside, gently caressing his cheek, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Hey Catnip." He said hoarsely.

"You scare me like that again, and I'll kick you into next year." He gave a small smile.

"How do you feel?" I asked.

"Like I got run over by a train. But I'll be okay." I smiled, and sat down on the edge of his bedside.

After a moment, he spoke up. "You think I'm heartless."

"No I don't, cuz I know you aren't. But Gale, how are we any better than them, if we do the same things they do?"

"We don't have much of a choice."

"Of course we do! There could have been other methods to taking the Nut!"

"Really? Then please, tell me, because I'd love to hear them." His voice had taken on a slightly sarcastic tone.

"Surrender…um…"

"They wouldn't have surrendered, and you know it. And clearly you don't have any other suggestions. But my plan didn't even work, so I guess I don't have much room to talk."

"It would have if they hadn't spotted us so quickly. They must have been guessing we'd try something like this."

"Maybe, but we'll never know. Still Katniss, that brings us back to the same issue. You think I stoop too low, that I cross the line."

"No I don't!"

"You do, because you always counteract whatever I say about things like that. And even when you do agree, it's always half-heartedly."

"Gale, while we were there, I couldn't help thinking about the mining accident. About how this wasn't really any different than that. We may not have won, but we still killed many. Husbands, friends, brothers, _fathers _were lost today."

A hurt look came over him, and I quickly tried to backtrack, realizing this time, I was the one who had gone too far.

"Wait, that wasn't fair, I shouldn't have-"

He cut me off. "No, you're right. It isn't any different. I crossed the line, I'm too heartless, I shouldn't have done it. I get it. Look, just go Katniss."

"Gale-"

"I said just go!" He was more forceful, and I couldn't remember the last time he had raised his voice at me. I saw that it dawned on him too, but he didn't say a word about it.

"Katniss, maybe we're just too different. Maybe things just won't work out between us anymore. Before, mutual survival bonded us, now, it's slipping anyway, along with the friendship we shared. Maybe you just shouldn't hang around me anymore. Maybe we should just-" I cut him off with a kiss on the mouth. I didn't always agree with Gale, but I still cared about him. I couldn't lose him. I just couldn't.

He made a surprised noise in the back of his throat, but his good arm came up to wrap around my waist. Finally, I pulled back a little, but still close enough that only a few mere inches separated us.

"Now, what was it you were saying?" I said, looking almost teasing.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." He said, with a half-smile, and pressed his lips against mine.

Behind us, someone cleared their throat, and we hurriedly pulled apart. A nurse was standing in the doorway, a look of amusement on her face. "Gale needs to rest. I'm afraid your time's up Katniss."

Sighing, I gave Gale a quick kiss on the cheek, and slowly made my way towards the door.

"When can I come back?"

"Tomorrow." That irritated me, but I said nothing, knowing the doctor had made that decision, and that the nurse wouldn't be able to do anything. But I intended to find the doctor as soon I left the room, and demand to be allowed in later tonight. As I passed the nurse though, she leaned over to whisper something in my ear. "I work tonight. You can slip in then." With a sly smile, she went over to Gale. Grinning a little, I quietly left the room.

I asked for directions to whatever meeting was going on, and was directed to a room. Since I was the Mockingjay, I was allowed to enter. Coin, Boggs, Haymitch, Plutarch, Beetee and several others looked up as I entered.

"Uh, I had to leave Gale's room, and Boggs said I would be welcomed here." I stammered.

Plutarch smiled at me. "Of course, of course! This is a war meeting, and you are the Mockingjay. But Katniss, please, only speak when necessary. We're in the middle of a big discussion, and unless you have some brilliant idea, stay quiet. Alright?" I nodded, and took a seat next to Haymitch. Though I was important to the Rebellion, I got the hint that I didn't have some high army position, and wouldn't be allowed to know about every little detail. Especially with my past mental issues.

"Now, as I was saying…" Plutarch continued. "To take over the Nut, our only chance will be to do a full scale attack on District 2."

"There has to be some other way. The Capitol will be guarding it more closely now, and besides, where do you intend to get all the equipment needed for such a move?" Boggs said.

"We'll find it. Gale's plan would have worked, but it won't now that the Capitol will be putting up more defenses, knowing we may try again."

"So they shouldn't be able to use it now right? I mean, we did the avalanche." Haymitch said. "We may not have been able to the plaza, but didn't the plan still work?"

"Wrong. They managed to block some of the blows, though how, I have no idea. And they're already airlifting the rocks away. Remember the point was to gain the Nut, to then gain District 2. It wasn't just to demolish their war base. If the plan had worked, we would have gotten control of District 2 so they wouldn't be able to get in to do it." Plutarch replied.

"How are they airlifting it? Gale said we would lose it entirely, and that nothing would be able to be done to save it."

"They were prepared. They were ready to handle it. They were smart, and figured out our plan the minute rocks started sliding. They got defenses up, and were able to save a lot of the Nut. Had the plan gone accordingly, they wouldn't have paid attention to us till it was too late, and by then, the avalanched would be uncontrollable."

Haymitch nodded, finally satisfied with the explanation.

"Why don't we just give it up entirely? Focus on the Capitol." Someone else suggested.

"Because we must cut off all of their resources." Coin responded.

Back and forth the discussion went for a good 3 hours, and still, they were no closer to finding a solution. Finally, I just got up and quietly left, having no "brilliant" suggestions to offer. I had my meal at my usual table, Gale being the only one missing. Later that evening, after spending an hour in our compartment, I slipped to Gale's room. He was sleeping, and the nurse winked at me as I entered. She quietly left, closing the door behind her.

I _thought_ Gale was sleeping anyway, but the minute the door closed, his eyes opened.

"Hey Catnip."

"Hey yourself. Look, I was thinking about earlier today, and I-"

"I was too, and I need to say something." He interrupted.

"No, what I need to say is more important. I'm not going to "not be friends with you," just because we can't agree on a few things. I don't always agree with you, and that's just the way it is. There's not point for me to try and dictate what you think, and vice-versa. So can we just agree to disagree, and when we do have an argument, just work it out calmly?"

Gale gave a smile. "That was exactly what I was going to say." I sat down on the bed, and he pulled me close to him. After giving me a kiss, he looked at me and said, "What about Peeta?"

"What about him?"

"What about things between you?"

"Gale, the Peeta I loved no longer exists. What we had was gone."

"So…you really did love him?"

I chose my next words carefully. "I think what I was thinking when I did say I loved him, was that if I didn't love him, everyone I did love would be killed by President Snow."

"Yeah, like that's not confusing."

"I know, I know, I didn't say it right. What I'm trying to say is, is that I let myself fall in love with Peeta because I didn't have a choice. In the Games, a lot of it was an act. If I intended to survive, I had to give the audience a show, and to do that, I had to love Peeta. In a way, I did love him, just maybe not in a dating sort of way. And afterwards, to keep everyone I cared about alive, I had to marry him. I didn't really have a choice, so I just sort of ignored whatever feelings I had for you, because I'd never be allowed to fall in love with you. But now that I'm free of that, and that the Peeta I fell in love with is gone…" I trailed off.

In the shadows, a small smile appeared on his face. "So you did choose me? Really, and truly? Cuz well, I chose you. Long time ago actually. But when I saw you and Peeta, I just pushed those feelings to the back of my mind."

I gave him a smile in return. "Of course I chose you." I was silent for a moment. "Gale, why did you choose me?"

He looked straight into my eyes when he answered. "Because you were the most amazing girl I had ever met. I just didn't realize it till later." I smiled again, and snuggled up close to him, careful not to bump his injuries. His arm came around me, and I rested my head on his chest.

"I really shouldn't stay long…" I murmured.

"What was that? I think you said that you really should stay a while." Gale replied.

"I'm going to get you one of these days." Gale just smiled, and leaned back on the bed.

The next several days passed in a blur. I trained, spent time with Gale, did propos, attended meetings where no solution on our current problem was ever reached… Basically, everyone was hunkering down, and waiting for someone to come up with a plan of action. I was headed to training one morning when Finnick ran up to me.

"Katniss, they need you in the hospital right away!" My heart lurched.

"Gale?" He had been released this morning on orders to take it easy, but if something had happened with his head…

"No, he's fine. It's Peeta; they think they've gotten through to him. They want him to see you." My spirits soared. Even though I had chosen Gale, I didn't want to lose Peeta as I friend. I tore down the hall, seeing Haymitch, Plutarch, and doctors crowded around the glass doors of Peeta's room.

Plutarch spoke first. "Now, we'll let you go in the room, but avoid questions about memories you two shared. Don't say anything unless he asks you a question we say you can answer. You'll wear this earpiece to communicate with us."

"Got it." I took the earpiece, slipped it into my ear, and spotted Gale walking over.

"Be careful Katniss. They think the cure they did work, but you can never be sure." Gale said.

"I'll be fine Gale." I lowered my voice a little. "I'll have to act like I'm still in love with him, so don't freak out on me, okay?"

He gave a smile. "Don't worry. I won't." A doctor opened the door, and I slipped inside.

Peeta was sitting on his bed, his legs crossed. He looked up as I entered, and smiled.

"Katniss. I haven't seen you in forever. You okay?" He sounded like the old Peeta, and I couldn't help but feel hopeful.

"You can answer it." Plutarch said in my earpiece.

"Oh, I'm fine. How are you?"

Peeta took a second to answer. "I'm doing great." He got up and wandered around the room, going to the door, the window, his bed.

Plutarch spoke again. "Let him wander."

"That's good to hear." I replied.

He nodded. "Katniss, come closer. I've missed you so much." He said, sitting on the bed again.

"Go ahead, but be on alert." Plutarch said.

"I've missed you too." I said back, and walked over to him. He embraced me in a tight hug, and gave me a kiss on the lips. I kissed him back, and he seemed to relax.

"So you're not a mutt."

"Say no. Say that was just a bad dream." Plutarch told me.

"No, of course not. That was all just a bad dream. I mean, I love you Peeta."

"I love you too." His hand moved, but I didn't really notice it.

His expression changed, and I got a little nervous. His arms which had felt welcoming to me before, felt like they were trapping me now.

"You know, I lied to the doctors. I lied to get them to let you in here. Because they wouldn't listen. I know who you really are. I know you betrayed me." I froze.

"Katniss, get back. Get back!" Plutarch's alarmed voice sounded in my ear. I pulled back, and got off the bed, but Peeta grabbed my arm, preventing me from going any further. A knife was in his hand.

"Gale!" I screamed, and quick as a flash, Peeta brought the knife into my side. The pain was intense. It rippled through me like a rock skipping across a pond.

I let out a cry of pain, and fell to the ground, blood staining my shirt. I could hear yells behind the door, and part of me wondered why no one was coming in to help.

"I locked the door." Peeta said, smiling. "I figured out how to do from the inside." I stumbled backwards, my hand slipping on the tile floor, now slick with my blood. My heart was in my throat, and I glanced anxiously around, hoping to find something to fend Peeta off. He followed me, and the knife came down again.

"Gale, help me! Haymitch, Plutarch, somebody, please do something!" I cried, feeling a little woozy from the loss of blood. The knife came down a third time, this time on my legs. I let out a scream, and suddenly the door came crashing down. Peeta instantly grabbed me, and held the knife to my throat. Gale was in the room, Plutarch, and doctors right behind him.

"Let her go Peeta. She never hurt you." Gale said slowly, making very subtle eye contact with Plutarch.

"Stay back!" Peeta warned.

"Remember your paintings? I asked you to show them to me, but you never did. Katniss said you were really good."

A look of confusion came over him. "I don't-"

"You're a wonderful painter, a wonderful baker too." Plutarch crept close to me, while Gale distracted Peeta. Blood was pouring from the wounds in my side and leg, and my shirt was drenched in blood. Soft gasps escaped me, and I could see panic reflected in Gale's eyes.

"I remember I bought one of your cookies one time." He continued. "Your mom could bake so well, and you iced them so beautifully." A distant part of my brain knew Gale was just keeping Peeta distracted. He could never have afforded those cookies.

The grip on the knife loosened slightly as Peeta grew more confused. "I don't think you-"

"All those colors. All those paints. But you were never able to get a rainbow. They went away so quickly. A bit of blue here, a dab of yellow there, a splotch of purple over here." Faintly, I remembered Peeta staying those words to the morphling when she died in the 75th Hunger Games. Peeta's grip on me loosened, and fast as lightning, Plutarch yanked the knife out of Peeta's hand. The confusion disappeared on his face, replaced by anger. Both of his arms came to grab me.

"Move another inch, and she dies!" He yanked me upwards, getting me to my feet, and I cried out.

"Gale, help me please!" My cries seemed to cut right through him. He glanced at Plutarch, and the other doctors, not sure what to do.

"Peeta, she's not a mutt. We told you that." Plutarch said slowly.

"You really think I believed that? I'm smarter than you think I am." His grip on me tightened. Blood was dripping to the floor, and I struggled to stay conscious… Time had seemed to stop in the room.

Gale was panicking, trying to get to me…

Plutarch looked desperate, trying to come up with a plan.

The doctors were scrambling, trying to save the Mockingjay…

I was hurting, my blood slowly spreading out on the white tile floor…

"Gale…" I said slowly.

"Hang in there Katniss. Hang in there."

"Peeta, let Katniss go, and we'll take care of her." Plutarch said.

"You...believe me?"

"Of course. She is a mutt. Hand over Peeta. We can do all official-like." Peeta looked confused again, but only for a moment.

"No, you're lying!" He started dragging me towards the door, and Plutarch and the others could see they didn't have much time left to save me.

Suddenly, Gale couldn't stand it. He surged forward, reaching to knock Peeta out. Peeta squeezed me, and I screamed. It turned into utter chaos. Gale caught me as Peeta lost it completely, and I fell to the side, moaning a little.

"I've got you Katniss. I've got you." Gale said, pulling me close to him.

"Gale…"

"Shh… Save yourenergy." I could hear the shouts and screams of Peeta and, for a moment, I caught sight of his face as he tried to get back to me. I screamed and clutched Gale, who pulled back, me in his arms.

Everything faded away for a moment. The room was swaying, the shouts getting fainter and fainter. I didn't know how much longer I could hold on. I was drenched in blood, the gaping wound showing no signs of clotting. Everything seemed to be getting whiter, and brighter. The sounds were softer, and then everything came rushing back as Gale yelled at me to stay awake. I was jolted out of my stupor, gasping in pain.

I felt Gale stand up, run towards the door, shouting for a doctor. I screamed again, and Gale rushed me out of the room. I caught a glimpse of Prim, my mother, heard Gale's voice telling me to hold on. And then I looked towards Peeta's room.

He was swinging wildly, a knife, and gun in his hand. Boggs and the others were trying to get a hold of him, but he kept screaming, and swinging the knife and gun. I heard Boggs yell something, hold up his gun, and shoot Peeta in the head. Everything stopped. Peeta…he was just…shot. He fell to the ground, and I heard myself scream his name. I forgot about Gale, forgot about my injury, forgot about everyone else. My heart chilled, a wave of panic slowly spreading through my body. I didn't feel the pain, I didn't feel anything. The lights were dimming, the pain easing off as the world began to slip away. There was only one thought that went through my mind.

_Boggs just killed Peeta._

And then everything faded to blackness.

**I like Peeta. I just don't like Peeta with Katniss. Sorry Katniss/Peeta fans, but I think Gale is just the right one for her. But because I'm not against Peeta, and still like him, I won't be mean by making him face the pain of losing Katniss. This was just the kindest way for him to go. I did sort of cry when I killed him, so no, I'm not mean and heartless. Peeta is very sweet after all. So at least he gets a nice ending. I'll try to update as soon as possible. As I said, this story is going to be really long. The start of the 76th Hunger Games won't even happen for another couple chapters. Those who review get a spoiler on the next chapter, so make sure to review! I love hearing from you guys, and please, please, tell me what you worked for you, what didn't. Just please don't flame me for killing Peeta. I know some of you love him, but I'm sorry, he just had to go. Hope you enjoyed!**


	2. The End

**Whew. My brain has been going at 100 mph, so I was able to get this done pretty quickly. Long chapter, but the end was just the best place to stop. Enjoy!**

Bright light greeted me as I slowly opened by eyes. For a split second, I thought I was dead, till Gale's face came into view. His worried eyes pierced mine, and his hand gently caressed my cheek.

"Easy. Easy." He said softly.

"Gale…"

"Shh… Don't try to speak. Just rest." Gale sat on the edge of the bed, wrapping his arm around me. I leaned into the crook of his elbow. "The knife…"

"It's over, it's all over." Gale whispered. "Just hang in there Katniss." I tried to say something, but sleep took me in its grasp, and once again, everything faded to darkness.

The next time I woke up, Gale was there once again.

"Have you even left?" I said with a half-smile.

"Actually, no. Save for a shower or two." Haymitch spoke up, appearing on the other side of my bed. "Good to see you awake sweetheart. Thought we might lose you there for a minute."

"Takes more than a knife to-" I stopped, the memory of what I saw before I passed out flashing through my mind. Gale sensed it, and glanced at Haymitch.

"I'll be outside if you need me." Haymitch said, and slipped out. Gale scooted under me, pulling me into his lap again.

"Gale…I saw Boggs-"

"Katniss, let me explain. Peeta lost it. Just completely, and totally lost it. He was going insane. He somehow wrestled a gun from Boggs, got a knife, and was swinging them around, screaming at everyone to get back. He lied to us Katniss. He said he believed us, but he didn't. There was nothing anyone could do for him. We had tried everything. He had already hurt you, and was on the verge of hurting someone else. We couldn't save him. Boggs did the kindest thing he could have. Peeta's happy now. He's in a better place."

"He really is…gone?"

"Yes. He is."

"He's dead. Peeta, one of my close friends… He's really gone!" I cried, tears beginning to stream. Gale gently soothed me.

"It'll be okay Catnip. One day you'll see. We did everything we could, but it just wasn't enough"

"But…maybe there was still a chance. Still a chance I could have gotten him back."

"Katniss, the Peeta you knew was already gone. Even if we could have helped him remember what was actually real, he wouldn't have been the same person. He wouldn't have been the Peeta you grew to love."

"But if I had done something, rescued him sooner, not gone in the room, or….not left him in the Games. If only I had stayed with him!"

"You can't blame yourself! You didn't know. You were split up for a reason; there was nothing you or anyone else could have done."

"But…but…he's gone. He's gone, and he's never coming back!" I buried my face in Gale's shirt.

"I know. Believe me, I know." He rubbed my back, and soothed me with his soft words. We stayed like that for a while, me just curled up in Gale's lap. Doctors and nurses would come in, but when they saw us, they would quickly check the monitors, then slip back out.

My injuries slowly healed, and a few days later, I was released from the hospital. Gale found me in a supply closet after he had finished training. Without a word, he sat down beside him, and put an arm across my shoulders.

"Peeta's funeral is tomorrow." He said softly.

"I don't want to go."

"I know, but you need to."

"I'm the reason he's dead."

"No, Katniss, you aren't. You didn't know what Peeta would do. There was nothing you could have done."

"I should have been more careful, should have realized. I should have _known."_

"Katniss, look at me." Gale pulled me around so I was staring up into his eyes.

"There was nothing anyone could do. The Capitol damaged him too much. Even if we convinced him you weren't a mutt, you weren't dangerous, he never would have been the same. Which would you rather have happened? Peeta be dead, or be alive, but be someone you don't know. Watch him pull away, fall in love with someone else, forget about you. Which is harder? Seeing him dead, or seeing him as someone who doesn't care about you?"

I didn't respond, just buried my face in Gale's shirt. After a moment, I pulled away and stood up.

"You should probably get back to training. No reason you would want to hang around me."

Gale looked shocked. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I'm falling apart. I'm saying I'm a complete mess. I'm saying this will take me ages to get over. I'm saying you won't want to be around me because I'm such a wreck."

"Hey, hey." He said softly, standing up, and wrapping his arms around my neck. "I'm not going anywhere. You're not doing this alone Katniss. I know things are hard, and I understand what you're going through. And that's why I'm not going to leave you. Ever."

"Oh Gale." I buried my face in his shirt once again, and we stood like that for a while.

The next day, I got up, and put on my mother's old blue dress, the one I wore at the reaping so many months ago. My mother braided my hair back, and I fastened by Mockingjay pin on. Gale met me at the door of our compartment. He was dressed in dark pants and shoes, his hair slicked back.

"Ready?" He asked quietly.

"I'll never be ready." I followed him out, my mother and Prim behind me. We met up with Haymitch, Plutarch, Beetee and Finnick. Haymitch was strangely quiet, his eyes forlorn. He had been rather fond of Peeta, and I knew his death was hurting him. With a bit of convincing, Gale had gotten Coin to agree to let Peeta be buried in District 12.

We boarded the hovercar, Peeta's body being taken in a separate on. A few soldiers accompanied us to make sure the area was safe, and to keep any eye out for any attacks. It was a short, silent ride to District 12. Once we arrived, Gale and I led the way to the forest. When we reached the gate, we realized there was a problem. The hole wasn't quite big enough to get the coffin through.

"Just knock the fence down." Plutarch said.

"No." I replied. "Enough has changed already. No need to change what doesn't need to be. Just make the hole a little wider." Plutarch agreed, not wanting to upset me, and the hole was widened enough to get through. We got through the gate, and I slipped through the grass, towards the maple tree Peeta and I spent many afternoons under.

Gale, Plutarch, Finnick, the soldiers began digging. Within a few minutes, the hole was done, and Peeta's coffin was lowered into it. My tears fell like rain as dirt was shoveled back on, and my friend disappeared beneath the ground forever.

Plutarch and Haymitch each said a few words, though I hardly noticed what they said. When it came my turn to say something, I took a deep breath, brushed away my tears, and began to speak.

"Peeta was my dandelion, my ray of sunshine in spring. I once loved him, and though that time passed, I still cared deeply about him. He was a friend, someone I depended on in the Games. He got me through it, gave me something to fight for. He was the reason I won, the reason I made it through. I owe so much to him, right back to the day so many years before when my family was starving. He burned some bread, got punished for it too, just so he could give it to me to keep us from starving. If he hadn't done that, I would never have met Gale, never started hunting. I wouldn't be here. None of us would be. Peeta meant so much to me. So much. I'll never forget him. I love you Peeta. Don't ever forget me okay?" My voice cracked, and I turned away, tears falling down my cheeks.

Gale stepped forward, and embraced me in a tight hug. The others were silent, and I cried into Gale's shirt. After a moment, Gale pulled me away, and led me to the Meadow.

We sat down, and I leaned against his shoulder, his arm coming around to wrap around my waist.

"I know it doesn't seem like it now, but everything will be okay." Gale murmured in my ear.

I looked up at him. "That sounds like something Peeta would say."

"Is that why you almost chose him?"

"I almost chose him because he was my dandelion in spring, the one telling me everything would be okay. Because I didn't think I needed your fire, kindled by your rage and hatred for the Capitol. I had plenty of fire myself. But I realized you weren't all that. You were my strength, my rock, the one I depended on. Peeta needed my strength, as much I need his. You I could depend on more, partly because you didn't need me as much."

"Katniss, I need you more than anything."

"Yes, but in a different way." He gave a sad smile, and pulled me closer. Eventually, Haymitch walked up, and said we had to go. We followed him back, got on the hovercars, and headed back to District 13.

The next several days passed in a blur, and I did nothing but train and do more propos. Coin and everyone else was still trying to figure out what to do. We heard that District 1 had been reclaimed by the Capitol, and the news saddened everyone. We were on the verge of losing, however, I wasn't ready to give up quite yet.

It was one bright, sunny morning when everything changed. I was in one of the upper levels with Gale, coming back from training, when the first bomb hit. The force of it sent us rocketing to the side, and instantly, alarms started blaring.

"Come on Katniss!" Gale hollared, grabbing my arm, and we flew down the stairs. My mother and Prim were in the hospital, and I could only hope they'd get out safely. I had no idea why we hadn't gotten any warning, why the systems hadn't sensed the incoming hovercrafts, but there was no time to think about it. It was chaos, with people shoving their way down the stairs, trying to get to the bomb shelters in time. Bombs kept dropping, and we were still a ways away from the shelter. Gale had an iron grip on my hand, and we just ran as fast as we could.

A blast from behind sent us hurtling forwards, and Gale lost his grip on me. I screamed his name, but got nothing in response. Dust and smoke were billowing up in huge plumes. I was searching, and yelling Gale's name. Then I spotted him. A chunk of the wall had caved in, and had collapsed on his legs, trapping him beneath mounds of rubble.

"Gale!" My alarmed voice cut through the din of the rumble of bombs dropping, and the yells and shrieks of people.

"Go Katniss! Leave me!" Gale shouted.

"No!" I replied forcefully, kneeling by him. I tried pulling him out, but only got a cry of pain for my efforts.

"Katniss, go! Please!" Gale yelled again, but I ignored him. I threw myself over him, not paying a bit of attention to his protests.

I heard someone bark my name, but I didn't turn around. A moment later, Boggs was beside me.

"I can't leave him!" I said over the noise from the bombs. He said nothing, a grim expression on his face. He bent over me, shielding me from any falling debris.

"We've got to get to a shelter Katniss!" He hissed, urgency in his voice.

"I know, but Gale's trapped!"

"Katniss-"Gale started to say.

"Shut up!" I told him. Boggs thought a moment, then whipped out his cell phone. Barking something into it, he then snapped it shut, and continued to shield Gale and I from the debris. A couple minutes later, several soldiers ran up, and Boggs pulled me back.

"Gale!" I cried.

"Katniss, they're going to free him. I pulled a few strings." Boggs told me. And they did. The soldiers got a grip on the chunk of concrete, and slowly heaved it upwards. Darting forwards, Boggs quickly pulled Gale out, a gasp escaping him. Picking him up, Boggs ordered me to follow him, and we made our way downstairs to where the huge double doors were about to close.

I darted forward, shoving my hand in between the doors. Instantly, the doors stopped closing, and began to open.

"It's the Mockingjay!" Someone yelled. There were relieved cheers, and a moment later, Boggs appeared carrying Gale.

We were directed to a compartment, and a moment later, a doctor arrived. Checking first to see if I was alright, she then took a look at Gale. I clutched his hand as he winced when the doctor gently pressed on Gale's legs.

"Bruised, but not broken. No idea how, but you're not in bad condition. You'll be up and walking in a week or so." Gale nodded, and we got him situated on a lower bunk. Boggs took the upper one, while the doctor ran off to look at other patients. I snuggled up close to Gale, his arm wrapping around me.

"You've got to stop scaring me like that." I murmured. He laughed, and held me tighter. A little while later, my mother and Prim stopped by, looking relieved to see me okay. They both gave me a hug when I hopped off of the bed.

"You sure you're alright Katniss?" My mother asked.

I nodded. "I'm fine Mom. Thanks." She smiled, then said she and Prim had to help other patients but would stop by later. They hurried off, and I snuggled back up with Gale.

The bombs continued for much longer than the other ones. We were stuck there for over a week, and by the end of it, Gale was up and around again. At times, I still cried when I thought of Peeta, still had nightmares, but each time, Gale was there to reassure me everything was alright. If I hadn't had him, I don't know what I would have done.

On the second day of being in the shelter, when I inquired about Finnick, Beetee, and Haymitch, I was told that Finnick was in another shelter, Haymitch was here, and Beetee was in the weapons room, which was so deep in the ground that it was just as safe. I was relieved to hear they were okay.

Gale and I passed the time by talking, and playing Crazy Cat. Prim had managed to rescue the old flea-bag, and I was rather glad, since Crazy Cat was some form of entertainment to do. Boggs shared the compartment with us, but he was so busy keeping track of what was going on outside, he was hardly ever around. Everyone was getting worried with each passing day, and the tension in the air was heavy. Finally, on the 10th day of being in the shelter, Gale and I received news that the bombs had stopped for good, and that we would be part of the crew to assess the damage.

We went to the double doors, Boggs joining us, and slipped outside. We went up a couple flights of stairs, and met up with Plutarch, Coin, and several other soldiers.

"Prepare yourselves for the worse." Plutarch said grimly. "The bombs continued on for quite some time, and our systems show they were stronger than the ones before."

We all nodded, and proceeded to the next level. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. Before us was nothing but destruction. We were still pretty deep in the ground, and if it was this bad here, who knew what the upper levels would hold. Compartments were a mess, walls filled with holes, ceilings a network of cracks.

"Oh no." I murmured. Our faces downcast, we went up level after level, the damage getting worse and worse, till we finally reached the surface. Coin took a deep breath, and turned to look at us. "A few thousand people are unaccounted for, and are believed to be dead. The hovercrafts are in pieces, the hospital, dining room, and countless living compartments destroyed. Even if it was possible to fix, it would take years. The only suitable living places right now are the bomb shelters. The weapons room is intact, but it doesn't do us much good with all this destruction. There's only one option left." She said quietly. "Surrender."

1 Month Later

I stood in front of the President's mansion; President Snow in front of me. After we had been forced to declare surrender, the Capitol had rushed in, and taken over. They had regained control on all of the Districts. All of the Districts that is, except for District 13. District 12 had gotten rebuilt, though the population was severely decreased. District 13 had been obliterated. This time for real. There had been so much damage to it, there had been no point in trying to save it. So the Capitol had sent all people from other Districts back, and killed most of those from District 13. We had been forced to watch as they lined up many of the citizens, Coin among them, and shot them all.

Because District 12's population was so low, they kept a few citizens alive, and let them live in District 12. I had nightmares about the shooting for days. Plutarch had been executed shortly afterwards, along with several other leaders of the rebellion. Snow had taken Gale and I to be killed in front of all of Panem. Haymitch had been allowed to return to District 12, though I had no idea what had happened to Finnick.

Now, President Snow was in front of me, a bow in his hand. Gale was nearby, waiting for his turn to be killed. All of Panem was holding its breath, waiting for the shot that would end my life. But it never came.

President Snow lowered the bow, _my _ bow, much to my surprise. "Katniss Everdeen. I have killed many of the rebellion leaders, and I must say, you were on the top of my list. But yet, the Districts have such a love for you. You are their Mocking jay. Which do you think would hurt them more? Seeing you die for your worthless cause, or seeing you torn apart and sent back to District 12?" He laughed, seeing the fear in my eyes.

"So Katniss, I'll start by making you watch your best friend die." I was pulled away by Peacekeepers, Gale put in my place.

"No! Gale!" I cried.

"Katniss, please." He said softly, and faced the President. I couldn't watch this. I handled Peeta's death, but I couldn't handle Gale's. Just as the arrow was about to fly, I pulled free of the Peacekeepers, and threw myself over Gale.

President Snow stopped the arrow at the last possible second.

"I won't let you kill him. I won't!" I shrieked.

"Katniss, you're going to get yourself killed!" Gale hissed.

"It'd be better than living in our current situation." I replied under my breath. President Snow eyed us for a moment, and laughed. "I was hoping you'd speak up. I wasn't planning on killing Gale, only acting like I would to see how much you cared about him. And clearly, a great deal. That information could be of use to me later. But, I still have one more person to execute. And this one, I fully intend to kill."

Gale gripped my arm as he pulled me to the side. "Don't say a word." He muttered. My back was straight as a board, my shoulders tense. I couldn't imagine who President Snow would bring out. And then I spotted the figure.

Finnick, covered in cuts and bruises, his eyes looking so hollow, was dragged out.

"No!" I cried, and Gale held me back.

Finnick looked over in our direction. "Annie is dead. Let me die Katniss. Please." He said softly. His words nearly brought me to tears, and I buried my face in Gale's shoulder, not caring that all of Panem was watching. President Snow raised the bow for the third time, and this time, the arrow flew. It sunk into Finnick's head, and his eyes went wide for a moment, before they glazed over.

President Snow turned to the crowd watching. "That arrow was the last shot of the war. Until the Hunger Games, it will be like the rebellion never happened. Let's just get back to the way things used to be, hmm? Katniss is still a victor, and she will continue to live in the Victor's Village, treated as if this never happened. Your little rebellion is over, but as you all know, someone must pay a price. And I believe this year's Hunger Games will be the best ones yet!" Smiling, President Snow disappeared inside.

Gale and I were led away, down towards the train station. It was as though I had never rebelled. I was treated like a Victor, people cheering, and laughing, and was given a large compartment in the train that was to take Gale and I back. We sat in the window, watching the Capitol slowly fade from view as the train took us closer and closer to District 12.

2 months later

I walked through the quiet streets of Panem towards the mine to greet Gale when he finished work in the mines. District 12 had been rebuilt quickly by the Capitol so it could be used again, but piles of ashes still lay around, homes still nothing but rubble. District 12 was much smaller now, only around 2, 000 people. And it made filling the coal quota harder. The miners now worked 15 hour days, 7 days a week. Gale started work at 5 in the morning, and didn't finish till 8 at night. The work was wearing him down, but he never let it show.

I waited near the gate to the mine, and spotted Gale walking out. He smiled as he saw me, and I ran over to give him a hug. I grabbed his lunch bag, and slung it over my shoulder, seeing how tired he was. He gave me a grateful look, and we began walking towards the Victor Village. Though he, Hazelle and the kids technically still lived in the Seam, Hazelle's job working for Haymitch and my mother kept her busy enough that it only made sense for them to stay there most of the time. Besides, Gale and I spent half our nights together anyway, keeping each other's nightmares at bay. The Peacekeepers didn't really care, just as long as the Hawthorns didn't stay in an unoccupied house. Hazelle and the kids stayed with Haymitch, while Gale stayed in a spare room in our house.

District 12 was no longer ignored by the Capitol. It was just a strict, if not stricter, than the other Districts. Haymitch was sober all the time now, since Ripper couldn't risk selling alcohol. District 12 was certainly no longer the quiet little district it had once been.

Gale was practically stumbling along with exhaustion, and I let him lean against me.

"Long day?" I asked.

"As usual. How was yours?"

"Boring. As usual. I miss hunting."

"Yeah, me too. Partly because it was something to do, partly because it provided food."

"At least we have enough money to pay for food now."

Gale nodded in agreement, too tired to even speak. We reached my house, meeting Hazelle on the front porch.

"Gale!" She greeted, giving her son a hug.

"Hey Mom."

"Another tiring day?"

"Yeah."

"Well, get some rest."

"I will." Gale went inside, Hazelle stopping me a moment.

"I don't know how much longer he can keep this up Katniss."

"Neither do I Hazelle. Neither do I." I replied, and followed Gale into the house, closing the door behind me.

Gale was about to head up the stairs, when the television beeped, telling us a mandatory broadcasting was about to come on. Sighing, Gale came back down, and collapsed into a chair. My mother and Prim entered the room, and I turned on the TV. I sat down next to Gale, and he rested his head on my shoulder. President Snow appeared on the screen, sitting in an elegant gold chair, a rose in his lap.

"Citizens of Panem. As you know, I promised that this year's Hunger Games would be the best ones yet. And I don't go back on my word. So, just like the Quarter Quells, there's going to be a couple changes. Starting with, there will triple the amount of tributes this year."

My mother let out a little gasp, and my eyes widened. Triple? How could we afford losing that many people? But President Snow was determined to teach us a lesson, even if it meant a small population decline.

"Two of them will be from ages 12-18. Two will be from ages 19-24. And the last two…" President Snow paused for a more dramatic affect. "will be from ages 6-10."

My heart stopped. Ages 19-24. That meant Gale could be picked. I looked over at him, and saw he had realized this as well. I squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back in return. And then I realized what President Snow had also said. My blood chilled, as I fully comprehended what it meant.

"Ages 6-10." I said softly. "Children. Children are going to be fighting." Everyone in the room looked horrified.

"The Games will last much longer." President Snow continued. "Perhaps as long as 2 months, even 3. The arena will be much bigger, much more area to fight in. There will be 3 Cornucopias, and each age group will start at one of them. The fighting, and killing will be more spread out, not quite as frequent, and so to keep things interesting, tributes may very well face certain challenges, obstacles, and dangers besides fighting with tributes. If too many people start dying at one time, the Gamemakers will step in. This promises to be the most spectacular Games ever! May the odds be ever in your favor!" The screen went dark.

No one said anything for several moments. Finally, my mother spoke up. "Well, I guess that's it. President Snow is just showing us that the Capitol can do anything to us, and we are powerless to resist. Get some rest you three." She got up, and disappeared into her room. After giving me a hug, Prim too, disappeared into her room.

Gale's eyes were downcast. "Come on." I said quietly. "Let's get some sleep." We went upstairs, but when Gale was about to go into his room, I stopped him. "Stay with me tonight. Please. I think we both could use the company." Gale smiled.

"Of course Catnip." He got a shower in my room, and when he came out, water droplets falling from his dark curls, we curled up on my bed.

"Gale, children. Little, innocent children." I said after a moment, a tear slipping down my cheek.

Gale gently brushed it away with his fingertip. "I know. But I can't say I'm shocked. It's something they would do. And it's punishment for the rebellion."

"If only I had killed Peeta, or let him kill me. Or been able to crush the beginning of the rebellion in the Victory Tour. I haven't saved lives, I've only condemned more people to their deaths."

"Katniss, we had a good chance at winning. It's not your fault we lost the war. It's mine. I came up with that plan."

"We had to get the Nut somehow. Your plan was the best. It's not your fault, maybe it's not even mine. It's the Capitol's. But anyway. It doesn't really matter I guess. The point is the war's over, and the most horrific games are on their way. Gale, you could be picked this year."

"Katniss, don't stress about it. I promise you, even if I do get picked, I will come back. Okay? I will." Gale said firmly. More tears slipped down my cheeks, and I pressed myself up against Gale. He hugged me tightly, and we stayed like that for a while, till each of us slowly drifted off to sleep.

The Day of the Reaping

I braided my hair back, and pinned it up. I was dressed in a light green dress, one of my other's older ones. Prim was wearing my mother's blue dress, and though it was a little big, my mother had adjusted it to fit. I put my Mockingjay pin on, and exited my bedroom. Gale was leaving his room as well, his hair slicked back, wearing one of his nicer pant and shirt outfits. I could a hint of nervousness in his eyes, but he hid it well. He always hid his emotions well. It had taken me a long time to see behind the mask, to see who he really was.

Together, we descended the stairs, seeing my mother and Prim already up and about. Both Prim and Gale were at risk of being picked today, a fact that made extremely nervous.

"I'll have breakfast on the table soon." My mother said, trying to look cheerful.

"Thanks Mrs. Everdeen, but I'm going to go over and see Mom and the kids before the reaping." Gale replied.

"'We'll see you in a little while then." Gale nodded, and turned to me.

"Katniss, meet me in a couple hours. We'll go for a walk."

"Okay, see ya." Gale gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, and left.

"Katniss, you hungry?" My mother asked.

"No, not really. It smells good, but I just don't think I could keep anything down." I gave her and Prim a hug before leaving the house. The day was warm, sunny, not exactly the right kind of weather for reaping day. I stopped by the bread shop, seeing Rose, one of the girls who worked here at the counter. I had started the bread shop up again, mainly for Peeta. He would have wanted there to be another. There had been several young teenage girls who had been eager to get a job, and since I wasn't a huge fan of waiting behind a counter all day, I hired several of them to run it. I had enough money since I was a Victor, so I gave the girls most of the money, and handed out free bread to those who needed it.

"Morning Katniss." Rose said, smiling, though I could see it was forced. She was at risk of being picked today too.

"Morning Rose. Everything going okay?" She nodded.

"Slow, but several people have been by. Though a lot of them were our list of free ones." I had a list of people who needed food the most, and they'd stop by once a day to get their free loaf of bread. It wasn't anything fancy, but they were extremely grateful for it. Food was food. And since they knew Peeta would have insisted they take it, none of them protested against being helped.

I spent a couple hours baking, and helping Rose out, till I saw Gale walk in.

"I'll see ya later Rose."

"Ok, see ya Katniss. Good luck at the reaping."

"Thanks. You too." I walked out with Gale, his arm around my waist.

"I don't think I've ever been this nervous." I said.

"Neither do I. 24 little kids are going to be killed during the next couple weeks."

"I know. It just doesn't seem real. And I'll have to train them, watch them be killed. Gale, how am I supposed to do it?" I buried my face in his shoulder. I couldn't bear the thought of training 2 little kids, and then have to watch them die in the arena. "If it's a 6-year-old, they'll hardly understand they have to kill. They won't stand a chance." I continued, while Gale gently rubbed my back.

"Well, you're not doing it alone."

"Yeah, Haymitch will be there."

"And so will I. I talked to Haymitch, and he pulled a few strings. Long as I'm not picked, I'll be able to go and help you train them."

"Really? Though if you're picked you'll be going anyway."

"Really. Took a bit of convincing, but Haymitch called the right people. And true. I'll just be the one doing the training."

"I'll make sure to thank him. Gale, why do you hang out with me?"

He stopped dead in his tracks. "What kind of question is that?"  
>"I mean half the time, I'm either screaming from nightmares, breaking down into tear, or burying my face in your shirt. What kind of a person wants to hang out with someone who's like that?"<p>

"The kind who's a bit compassionate, and understands. The kind that can see why you're upset, and doesn't care. The kind that's happy he's with you, regardless of how you're acting." He replied, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. I smiled, and we continued to walk through District 12, not saying much else.

A few hours later, we walked to the plaza with our family. My mother and I hugged Prim once more, and it took me a moment to let go. This time, if she was picked, I wouldn't be able to volunteer. She walked off to stand with the other girls, looking so grown up. So unlike the Prim that I volunteered for that day many months ago. Gale hugged his family, then came over to me.

"I can't lose you Gale." I said softly.

"You won't. Just stay strong for me, okay?" I nodded, and we hugged each other tightly. We quickly kissed; then he went to stand with the boys in his age group. I sat with Haymitch in the front, watching Effie and the new mayor were on stage. The new mayor was an older, heavyset man, in his late 50's.

The mayor began with the usual history of Panem, which I tuned out, having heard it a million times. Then it was Effie's turn to speak. She was wearing her usual pink wig, and bright makeup.

"Welcome, welcome! It's that time of year again! Time to choose 3 courageous young men and women." Despite Effie's cheerful expression, I could see she wasn't happy, what with the 2 young children being picked this year. There were 6 large balls on stage, one for each boy and girl being picked from each age group.

"We'll start with the 6-10 year olds." Effie said with a bright, but fake smile. "Young ladies first." She reached into the glass ball, and after a moment, pulled out slip of paper. "Terra Cunnings!" She announced. A young woman's cry sounded through the plaza, the mother of the child. Terra, who was 8, stepped forward, struggling to keep back tears. She was so young. She mounted the steps, Effie greeting her warmly.

"Boys next!" Effie reached into the jar, and picked another white slip. "Eli Daren!" Eli, who was 10, slowly walked forward, and went up to stand by Terra. "And we have our 2 tributes from the 6-10 age group! Terra Cunnings, and Eli Daren!" No one cheered, though it was clear Effie hadn't expected them to.

"Let's move on to the 12-18 year-olds. As usual, ladies first!" Effie pulled out a slip of paper, and read the name aloud. "Rose Meer!"

_Oh no. _ I thought. _Not Rose. _ I saw Rose climb up the steps, and I gave her what I hoped was an encouraging smile. She gave me a grateful look, and faced the crowd. I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief that Prim was safe for another year. "And for the boys…" Effie reached for a name from the glass bowl. "Stryder Hills!" Stryder was an older boy, about 17. The name sounded familiar, and then I realized why. Stryder was the sister of Hannah, one of the girls who worked in the bread shop. I heard Hannah's cry, and watched Stryder join the other 3 on the stage. "Our two tributes from the 12-18 group, Rose Meer, and Stryder Hills!" The two stood in front of the crowd, looking stoic, and determined. No weaklings from that age group this year.

"And last, but certainly not least, our 19-24 age group! Ladies, you're up first!" It seemed Effie was struggling to keep her cheerful expression intact, but she was managing. She drew another white slip, and read the name aloud. "Fiona Teirm!" Fiona was a young, cheerful, bright eyed girl whom most everyone knew. There was a small sigh from many in the audience. Fiona though, didn't look upset or scared. She climbed up the steps, her unwavering expression remaining one of determination, justlike the two tributes before us. She wasn't one to give up. "And for our last tribute…" Effie said, reaching for one more piece of paper.

_Please not Gale. Please not Gale. _ I begged silently.

"Gale Hawthorne!"

Gale's POV

I waited nervously as they called each name, glancing at Katniss as they called Rose's name. She took a deep breath as she watched Rose mount the steps. I knew Katniss was sort of friends with her. She worked in the bread shop, I recalled. I barely heard the other names of tributes, and when Effie reached into the bowl to pull out the boy's name from my age group, I just kept silently praying they wouldn't call my name. But today was not my lucky day.

"Gale Hawthorne!"

**So, what do you think? Remember to review, and those who do get spoilers! Now the good news, and the bad news. The good news is I've gotten a good start on the next chapter. The bad news is it's not yet finished, and I'll still have to edit. But I'll get it done, and have it posted asap!**


	3. Getting Ready for the Games

**You guys are lucky. A chapter done in like a day. That's a record for me. Good thing my brain is flying. Another long chapter, but I'm doing them a little longer so I don't wind up having a million chapters. Eight reviews, and several favorites and alerts, thanks so much! Love the feedback I've gotten from you guys. Enjoy!**

Gale's POV

_Why me? _I thought as I mounted the steps. I gave Katniss a look, telling her to just stay strong. She gave a nod in response, and a small smile as she got my message. We knew each other so well, all it took was a certain look to get what the other was saying. I faced the crowd, not smiling, not looking scared, not showing any emotion. When Effie finished announcing the other names, the Peacekeepers took us to the Justice Building.

Mom and the kids were the first to come in. I hugged Rory, Vick, and Posy, telling them everything would be fine, to take care of Mom, and to stay strong. I hugged Mom tightly too.

"Fight hard Gale. You can win this."

"I'll do nearly whatever it takes to win. I will come back, I promise."

"Nearly?"

"I won't kill the little ones Mom. That's crossing the line." She smiled.

"I was hoping you'd say that." Then, their time was up, and they were getting pulled away. No one else came in to see me, and a few minutes later, I was taken to the train with the other tributes.

Katniss' POV

_No. Oh please no. Not Gale. It can't be Gale. I just can't be. _But it was. Gale made his way to the stage, giving me smile that said, _Be strong. _

Struggling to maintain control of my emotions, I watched him take his place next to the others.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you this year's District 12 tributes! Terra Cunnings, Eli Daren, Rose Meer, Stryder Hills, Fiona Teirm, and Gale Hawthorne!" Instead of clapping, everyone touched their 3 middle fingers to their lips, then held them out to the tributes. Effie didn't seem surprised at the gesture. It had happened before. The tributes were whisked away to the Justice Building, and I ran to Hazelle.

Hazelle was being consoled by my mother, and I reached down to hug Rory, Vick, and Posy.

"It'll be okay guys." I said softly. I gave Hazelle a hug too.

"Look after him Katniss. Please. Bring him home." She whispered.

"I'll do everything in my power to see to it that he wins." I whispered back. She nodded, and they all hurried off to say goodbye to Gale. I turned to my mother.

"Stay strong Katniss. Be the girl I know you to be." My mother said. Tears in my eyes, I hugged her tightly, and she gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. I hugged Prim too, who gave me some encouraging words, then walked away with my mother.

I realized I had left my jacket on my seat in the plaza, so I hurried back to get it. The plaza had mainly cleared out, but as I picked up my jacket, I spotted a slip of paper that had fallen to the ground. Must have been one of the tributes called, but then the name on it caught my eye.

_Copper Haller, _was what it read. That hadn't been one of the names of the tributes. Looking up, I saw the nearest bowl to it. The 19-24 year-old boys. And then it hit me. Gale had already been picked to be in the Games. And I knew exactly who had arranged it…

There was nothing I could do about it now, but I intended to confront Effie later. Since I would be going to the Capitol with the tributes, there was no need to say goodbye to anyone but my family. I walked to the Justice Building, comforting a few grieving parents, especially the ones of the little children.

The parents of Terra came up to me.

"Katniss, I know Terra won't make it. None of the 6-10 year-olds will. But please, look out for her." Her mother asked, her eyes filled with tears.

"I will. I promise. And when she…when her time does come, if there's anything I can do to ease her along, I'll do it."

"Thank you." Her dad said, and I hugged them both. I told the parents of Eli the same thing, and they looked immensely grateful. For them, and Terra's parents, their grieving time had already started. None of the 6-10 year-olds would come home. They just didn't stand a chance against the older kids. Putting them into the games, it wasn't just cruel, it was sick. Sick that somebody could do that. Then again, that was exactly what President Snow's personality was like.

When the goodbyes were over, I boarded the train with Haymitch, Effie, and the tributes. We all went to the window to catch one last glimpse of District 12. For at least 5 of them, it was the last time they would ever see their home. I sat by Gale, and felt his arm come around me.

"Hang in there Katniss." I just rested my head on his shoulder. After a moment, I got up and went over to Rose. She glanced at me.

"Not my day for good luck, huh?"

"No, I guess not."

After a moment, she spoke again. "I know you feel guilty for what you're thinking right now. Don't. I know you don't want to see me die, but you want to Gale live, more than you want me to."

"Rose-"

"Katniss, I don't blame you. Really, I don't. If I were in your shoes, I'd feel the same way. Just promise me something."

"Of course."

"I won't try to kill Gale, but I want to live just as much as he does. Promise me that you won't fire me, won't hate me forever if I do live, or am the cause of his death. I know you'll blame me, and you wouldn't be human if you didn't. Just promise me you'll understand why I did it."

I took a deep breath. "I won't fire you. No matter what happens. And I will understand. I just may not be able to be around you as much."

She nodded. "You'd either have to have a heart of gold, or not be human to be able to." We stopped talking, and noticing Terra crying, I went over to her, and pulled her into my lap.

"Hey Terra." She sniffled and looked up at me. "I miss Mommy."

"I know, but she'll be watching."

"I'm going to die, aren't I?" The question caught me by surprise.

"Terra, you're going to go to a much happier place. A place that's way better than this one."

"Really?"

"Really." The little girl snuggled up to me, and my heart went out to her. How could I watch her die?

After a little while, Effie took Terra, noticing I was on the verge of losing it.

Gale noticed too, and I let a few silent tears fall, buried in his shirt. He rubbed my back, and whispered a couple soothing words to me. If it weren't for Gale, I would have wound up in the mental institution long ago.

District after District went by, and the other tributes looked curiously at each one, their eyes widening in amazement. They had all been through a lot the past several months, but seeing the other districts still amazed them.

We were given separate rooms, and told to get ready for dinner; Rose and Stryder offered to help the little ones with anything they needed. I went to my room, and rummaging around in drawers, pulled out a pair of black pants, with a light blue top. I took a quick shower, threw on my clothes, and went to dinner. Gale, Fiona, Effie and Haymitch were already there. A few minutes later, Rose, Stryder, Terra and Eli showed up. Dinner was plum stew, as well as several other dishes. We ate a little, but no one was really hungry. The tributes seemed to be still thinking of home, and the people they'd probably never see again. After an hour of idle chatter, and picking at our dinner, we went back to the windows to watch other districts rush past.

Eventually, when the train stopped for the night, everyone retired to their rooms. Rose and Fiona shared a room with Terra, mostly because they wanted the comfort of each other. Stryder and Gale had been talking a while, and when it was time for bed, Stryder said he'd take a room with Eli. Haymitch disappeared to his room, and I turned to Gale. Neither of us had to say anything, knowing we would share a room. I changed into a pair of gray pants, and a red, short-sleeve top, while Gale changed put on sweats and a t-shirt, and we curled up on a bed.

"I'm scared Gale." I whispered.

"Me too." He replied. Tears started silently falling down my cheeks, and when he noticed, Gale brushed them away, giving me a kiss on my head as he did so.

"I finally know how Haymitch feels, having to train the tributes. Little Terra, she's so sweet. I don't know how I can watch her die." I said softly.

"Believe me Katniss, I know. But if one thing's for certain, I won't kill a single one of the little kids. I'm not the kindest of people, but I'm not heartless. Killing little kids, that crosses the line. I'll show the Capitol that they don't own me, that I'm not just a player in their games. I won't play by their rules. I'll play by _mine._"

"You're sounding more like Peeta all the time."

He smiled. "We could have learned a few things from each other. Do you miss him?"

"Every day. I wonder what he'd think about all this."

"He'd be furious. You know he would be. And he'd do just what I'm doing. Not being a player in the Games. Just being himself."

"Yeah, I just hope the little ones die quickly so they don't suffer."

"If I do see one that's beyond saving, I'll kill them. But only out of mercy. Only to end their suffering."

I smiled, and rested my head on Gale's chest. We eventually fell asleep, wrapped up in each other's arms.

The next morning, I put on the pair of pants I wore yesterday, along with a green top, and my Mockingjay pin. This morning, I was confronting Effie about what I had seen in the plaza. Gale awoke, and dressed, and we both went to breakfast. Fiona was there, and gave us a smile as we walked in.

"Hi Gale, Katniss." She said with a smile. I returned it. "Morning Fiona. Rose and Terra up yet?"

"Rose is in the shower, and Terra's sleeping in. She looked so innocent, and sweet as she slept, and her waking life isn't exactly fun, so we let her sleep in."

"I'm here." Rose said, walking in, followed by Stryder. "Eli's asleep too." He said. Haymitch and Effie soon arrived, and we all began eating. A few minutes later, Terra came in, led by Eli.

"I remembered the way, so I helped Terra get here."

"Thanks Eli." Rose said.

They sat down, and began eating, and when I saw Effie was done, I stood up. "Hey Effie, I couldn't get my hair done just right. Mind helping me?"

"Of course not Katniss." Effie said with a smile. I had done my hair messy on purpose, so no one would suspect anything. We went to my bathroom, and once Effie had fixed my hair, I hopped up, blocking the way to the door. Effie looked surprised.

"What are you doing Katniss?"

"I have a question, and I want a straight answer. I saw the paper that came out of the boys' ages 19-24 bowl." Effie paled.

"You were ordered to say Gale's name no matter what, weren't you?"

Effie gulped a little. "Katniss, I didn't have a choice. President Snow forced me. Said he'd have me killed if I didn't say his name. And Gale would still have been put in the Games. There was no way I could've avoid it."

"Why did he do it?"

"You know why." I did know. It was because I stopped President Snow from killing Gale.

"Why didn't he kill him?"

"He wanted to see how much you cared. How much he meant to you. How much he could use him against you." I said nothing more, just disappeared out the door. I ran back to the breakfast table where the others were still sitting. Terra and Eli were nibbling on pastries and hot chocolate.

Effie glanced out the window, having followed me into the room. "It's the Capitol. We're getting close." Everyone except for Gale and I hurried to the window. We had already seen the Capitol, spent more than enough time here.

The other tributes' eyes were wide as they caught their first glimpse of the Capitol. Even though they were coming here to fight to the death, the Capitol was still quite a sight, regardless of what the people were like.

After a few minutes, Haymitch called them back.

"Now, when we arrive, you'll be sent to your stylists to get ready for tonight's opening ceremony. Whatever they do, do not resist. They'll help you make an impression, so do whatever they tell you. Understood?" Everyone nodded. "Good."

A few minutes later, the train pulled into the station. I said goodbye to Gale when he was led off to meet his stylist. Haymitch, Effie and I went to Training Headquarters to make sure our level was ready. We rode up in the elevator, and when we walked in, we found it the same way it had been before. Effie hurried around, making sure everything was in place. I went up to the roof, eager for some fresh air. There wasn't much I could do downstairs, so I spent the rest of the day there, just thinking about everything.

Gale's POV

I said goodbye to Katniss at the train station, and was taken to the Remake Center to see my prep team. They were like any other Capitol people. Acted ridiculous, looked ridiculous. They introduced themselves as Pip, Yavonne, and, Mathias. I was scrubbed down, made to soak in some lemon scented wash, and covered in lotion. They did everything from cleaning my nails, to washing my hair, to erasing away scars and blemishes. The whole nine yards. It was like I was a rag doll, and was yanked this way and that. I hated every minute of it. If it was this bad for me, I couldn't imagine what it must have been for Katniss, since there was a lot more that would have needed done on her.

Finally, I met my stylist. A young woman by the name of Seria. She wasn't like my prep team, much more normal looking. She sent the prep team away, and looked me over. "Gale, the other stylists for your districts, and I have a special plan in mind. Portia and Cinnia paved the way for District 12. There's a lot more possibilities since they came up with some amazing ones."

"So what's my outfit?"

"Fire."

"Like Katniss' first one?"

"Sort of." I was dressed in black pants, and shirt. I wore a black head piece, though it looked different from the one Katniss had worn. I was taken to the bottom level of the Remake Center, which was basically one big stable. Horses were being led everywhere to lead the chariots. I walked over to the District 12 chariot, and spotted Fiona.

"Gale." Fiona said, when she spotted me.

"Fiona. Your prepping session as bad as mine?"

She rolled her eyes. "Worse I bet. I don't have a strand of hair left on me, save for what's on my head."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Then I guess it was worse." Flick, Fiona's stylist, and Seria came up to us.

"Now, you'll have a fire similar to the one Katniss and Peeta had. But it will go on and off. Your outfits are coordinated with the younger ones. The little ones will be a small spark, the middle ones even stronger, yours, the strongest. We'll turn the outfits on at the same time. The little ones will go on first, then the middle ones, then you. A rippling affect so to speak. And you're not to smile. Hold hands, look straight ahead. Act strong, act dangerous, act serious. Got it?" Flick asked. We both nodded.

We climbed up on the chariots, the younger tributes in front of us. Our stylists turned our outfits on just as our chariot rolled out. We were clearly the center of attention as we paraded through the city. Everyone was going wild for us. When we reached the City Center, my eyes flickered up to Katniss as we passed her and the other mentors up on the balcony. She gave me a smile, so I knew she saw. I spotted President Snow up on his balcony in the mansion. I could see us on camera, and as the sun went down, and everything began to get dark, the cameras stayed mostly focused on us, as our fire went on and off, shining brightly in the darkness. District 12 was definitely getting more than our fair share of camera time. We were parked around the loop in City Center, and did one last circle before we paraded back through the city to the Remake Center.

Katniss' POV

Eventually, Haymitch collected me to go the ceremony. I dressed in a stylish yellow dress with heels, and we rode in a limosine to the center of the Capitol. We would watch the ceremony from a balcony. When it started, I watched with baited breath as each chariot rolled out. There was still the same number of them, but they were bigger. Some of the tributes from each district were dressed all alike, some different by age group.

But when District 12's chariot rolled out, led by smoky black horses, they wiped out the other Districts once again. The little ones were dressed like candles, just a little spark. The middle ones were a stronger fire, and Gale and Fiona were the strongest. It was the same idea as my first costume, but yet completely different. The fire was different, the outfits a little different. Terra and Eli were both smiling happily, and waving; Terra was blowing kisses to the crowd. The crowd was going crazy for them. Rose and Stryder were smiling, but looked more solemn. Fiona and Gale didn't even smile, or wave. They looked strong, determined, dangerous, their eyes trained ahead. It was a brilliant move by the stylists.

"Amazing." Effie murmured next to me. I nodded in agreement. Gale's eyes flicked up to look at me, and I gave him a smile. The chariots paraded around the center circle one last time, then disappeared back inside the Training Headquarters. Haymitch, Effie and I quickly left to greet the tributes. By the time we got there, their outfits had been turned off, and I ran up to Gale.

"You were amazing." I said, then turned to congratulate the other tributes. Terra and Eli were smiling, a fact I was happy about. As soon as they were in the arena, they would never smile again.

I walked next to Gale as we made our way back to the tower where our rooms were. Rose was holding Terra's handing, Stryder holding Eli's. They would make great parents, seeing how well they worked with the little ones, but they never would be. Gale had to win, and winning meant no one else would come back.

We rode up in the elevator, and everyone retired to their rooms until dinner. Gale said he wanted some time to himself, so I had a couple hours to kill. I walked out onto the balcony, and found Haymitch standing at the railing. He glanced over at me.

"Realizing how hard it is, sweetheart?"

I took a deep breath. "I can't lose Gale. He has to win. But if he wins, it means none of the others come back either. Terra or Eli, who are so young, who haven't gotten their chance at life. Stryder and Rose, who are both so protective of the younger ones, have such compassion, have such determination. And Fiona, so full of life, always smiling, always laughing. None of them are probably coming back."

Haymitch for once, looked sympathetic. "I know sweetheart. It's hard, watching them die, but you get used to it."

"I don't want to get used to it. I want it not happen." I gave a short, barky laugh. "Now I finally understand why you drank so much. It gets rid of the pain."

"It doesn't get rid of it. It only helps you forget it." Haymitch said with a sigh. I stared out at the city for a minute, before going back inside to my room.

After relaxing for an hour, I hopped in the shower, hit a few random buttons, not really caring whether the water was steaming hot or freezing cold. I dressed in dark brown pants, and a light cream top for dinner. I braided my hair back, and when Effie called me, quickly fastened my Mockingjay pin on, and hurried to the dining room.

The table was a bit bigger this year, to fit the extra tributes and stylists. I sat near Gale and Fiona, and chatted with them and their stylists, Seria, and Flick, for most of dinner.

"The outfits were amazing." I commented, taking a sip of water. Seria smiled.

"Well, Cinna was an amazing stylist. We could never have come up with the idea ourselves." The instant she said Cinna's name, I grew quiet. I missed him just as much as Peeta, and stayed quiet mostly quietly for the rest of the meal. Gale gave me a sympathetic look, and left me alone for the rest of the meal. I heard him reassure Seria that it wasn't her fault, that I just got a little emotional every time Cinna's name was brought up. And did get emotional. A sharp pain of sadness always sparked up within me every time I thought of Cinna. I missed him with a dull ache that never seemed to go away. After dinner, I pulled Rose, Stryder, and Fiona aside. Gale followed me as well as I led them out onto the balcony.

"What is it Katniss?" Rose asked, after I was quiet for several moments.

"Look, I understand how fond you guys are of Terra and Eli. You've done everything you could to help them, and I see why you're doing it, but you need to let Effie take care of them." Rose looked at me curiously.

"Katniss, they need someone. Someone who understands. We can't just act like they don't exist."

"You need to. The more attached you get to them now, the harder it will be when they die. And that's the hard truth. A 6-10 year-old has no chance of winning the games."

Stryder spoke up. "She has a point Rose. But at the same time, we're most likely not going to survive, so what does it matter?"

"It'll only make it harder in the end. And what if you do win? I won't hide my opinion. I don't want to see you guys die, and I won't play favorites in the Games, but you know who I want to win. Who I need the most. I wish you all could win, but you can't. It's killing me knowing at least 5, if not all of you, aren't coming back. But there's nothing I can do about it. The little ones won't last long. And if you get attached to them, you'll want to ally with them, to help them survive. That'll only slow you down, and if you run into trouble, they'll suffer even more. I'm not saying they should give up, just that you should let them be. I know what losing someone in the games is like. I miss Rue, and it hurt to see her die. I don't want you guys to have to go through the same thing. Ally if it benefits you, but don't ally with the younger ones. They have no chance of winning, and the sooner they go, they less they'll suffer. You may disagree, but that's my opinion, and that's what I'm advising you to do.

Gale's eyes flickered back and forth between us. "Katniss, I see what you're saying. And that's why I'm trying not to get attached to any of you. While I see what you're saying too Stryder, I think Katniss is right."

"Oh, I know she is. It's just so hard to not get attached. They're so sweet, so young, so innocent." He replied.

"Believe me, I know that better than anybody. Unless it helps you win, just don't make any allies with anyone. It only makes it harder." I disappeared back inside, and went to my bedroom. A few minutes later, Gale came in.

"I can't stand this! It's just too hard!" I shouted, throwing a shoe at the wall.

"Stop that." He said, grabbing my arm when I reached to throw another shoe. "I'm here." He said softly, hugging me from behind. I couldn't help but smile when he did. All it took was Gale's prescense to make me feel better. I grabbed my pjs off the ground, changed in the bathroom, and came out to find Gale had changed too. We spent the evening quietly talking in bed, and eventually, we both fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms.

The next morning, I dressed in my usual outfit, and walked with Gale into the dining room. Except for Terra and Eli, everyone was already sitting down. I took a seat, Gale sitting beside. After a few minutes, a Capitol attendant brought in Eli and Terra. They began nibbling on breakfast, and after a moment, Haymitch spoke. "Your first training session is today. You have 2 choices. Be coached separately or together."

"Why would we want to be separate?" Fiona asked.

"If you had a skill you didn't want the others to know about." I answered.

Gale shrugged. "You've all seen me fight, and know my skills."

"I'd don't really care." Stryder said. Haymitch nodded.

"Okay, what about the rest of you?"

"I don't have any special skills." Rose said, and Fiona nodded. "Neither do I. I mean, there may be some things I'm good at, but it's nothing special that a lot of other people won't be good at either. Won't really give me any advantage." Rose nodded in agreement.

"What about Terra and Eli?" I asked.

"They'll have a separate training session today with the other 6-10 year-olds, and if they want, join the rest of you for the other 2 days." Effie replied.

"Now when you're training, don't show off any huge talent at a particular skill. If you find you're good at something, move to another station. Save your talents for the Gamemakers. You don't want to reveal what you can do to the other tributes. Got it?"

"Yeah." The chorus of responses came from the 6.

"Learn as much as you can, and not just about fighting. Learn about edible plants, how to make fires, traps to catch food; basic survival skills. That'll help you just as much as the fighting skills will. Now, go and get changed in your room. Your stylists have laid out your training outfits." Haymitch said. Everyone nodded, and left to go get ready. I stayed at the table, and sipped on my hot chocolate.

"What are we doing today Haymitch?"

"Going to the Headquarters to start getting ready." I nodded. In a few minutes, everyone came back, dressed in their training outfits. Terra and Eli were dressed in a simple pair of tennis shoes, black pants, and gray shirt with the 12 on the sleeve. The other four were wearing outfits of gray sweats, and a black, red, and gray tight shirt with the number 12 on the sleeve.

Haymitch said they could do down on their own, and Gale gave me a quick hug before following the others. Then, Haymitch, Effie and I left to go to the Games Headquarters.

Gale's POV

We rode down in the Elevator, to the one of the lower levels. When we arrived in the training room, a Capitol attendant walked up and took Terra and Eli to their separate training session. Tributes from Districts 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, and 9 had already arrived. I took a seat in a circle, Fiona sitting next to me.

"Look, I know an alliance in the arena may not benefit either one of us, but do you think we could train together? I mean, I know your skills, and I never learned any skills that will help me now. Maybe we could teach other."

I nodded. "Sounds good to me. I was wondering if you'd ask." She gave a smile, and we waited for the other tributes to show up. When they all had arrived, one of the attendants gave us some instructions.

"You'll have 3 days to train. How you use that time is up to you. Do not engage any other tribute in fighting. If you wish to practice against another person, there are attendants waiting around to help you. Your mentors will have given you instructions on how they want you to train. You are free to go."

Fiona and I hopped up. "Where to first?" She asked.

"Plants section. Being able to find food is an absolute must." She nodded, and we walked over. We spent the next few minutes learning what plants were edible, what wasn't. I knew most of the stuff, but I pretended not to. Over the next couple hours, we did everything from making snares, which I pretended to be bad at, to using knives and swords. At lunch, we sat with Rose and Stryder, who had paired up as well. We talked about a few random things, but mostly just ate in silence. No one really wanted to get attached to each other, knowing we might face them in the arena.

After lunch, Fiona and I continued bouncing from station to station. Though Haymitch had said not to show any particular skill, I excelled at hand to hand combat, and Fiona was great with the spears. Who knew. A bright eyed, cheerful young girl being an ace with a spear.

When the training session ended for the day, we headed back up to our level, and found Haymitch, Katniss, Effie, Terra and Eli there already.

"How was training?" Haymitch asked.

"Fine. Learned a lot." I replied. The others nodded in agreement.

"Good." He replied. "Terra and Eli both had a productive day as well. Learned some basic stuff, and what they have to do in the arena. There were a couple of 6-year-olds who didn't even understand they had to kill. Though by the end of the day, they all did. "

"It's so stupid, them fighting! What's the point, if they don't even get that they're fighting to the death?" Styrder burst out in anger. He seized a small vase off of the table, and threw it at the wall. It shattered into a million pieces, and Katniss came up behind him. She whispered a few words to him, and he seemed to calm down, as well as a hug. Then, she looked at each one of us for a moment, suddenly burst into tears, and flew from the room.

"Katniss?" I called, running after her. I found her on the balcony, crying her eyes out.

"I can't stand this! I just can't watch them die! I can't Gale!" She cried, throwing herself into my arms. I hugged her tightly, wishing I knew what to say. I didn't know how she could stand it either.

We had dinner in our room that night, mainly just to give Katniss a break. The next morning, she was still sleeping when it was time for me to get up, so I just let her rest. Though even sleeping sometimes didn't give her the relief she was looking for.

After a quick breakfast, we walked down to the Training Arena.

"Hey, is Katniss okay?" Rose asked as we walked in, Terra and Eli with us.

"Yeah, it's just, she's trying not to get attached to you guys, but she can't help it. She likes all of you, and she can't stand the fact that at least 5 of us won't be coming back."

"I know how she feels. If I win, I won't see any of you again." Everyone was silent after that.

"Fiona, I think we should split up today." She nodded in agreement.

"I'm starting to like you, as a friend of course, and I can't afford that. Especially in the arena where I might have to try and kill you." Fiona said. Terra and Eli stuck together, and insisted they didn't need our help. Of course, they both knew they wouldn't live, so teaming up wasn't really a bad idea for them. I on the other hand, intended to have a long life in District 12.

I spent the day bouncing back and forth between stations. I caught glimpses of the other District 12 tributes, and noticed that Terra and Eli were doing fine on their own, and were getting good at some of the stations.

The next day was the assessment with the Gamemakers. Since there were so many tributes, it started early. The tributes from Districts 1-4 were allowed to come back and have more training time, since the rest of us had the morning to train. But after lunch, the number of tributes around decreased as they went back to their rooms when they finished. I was the very last tribute to go, and judging from what Katniss had said about hers, the Gamemakers would be more than ready to be done. That was why I intended to impress them.

When I was called up, I entered the room, discovering that the Gamemakers were irritable, and more than ready to leave. I started out with a few complex snares, and got a few nods from the Gamemakers. Next, was my time to really shine. I picked up a bow, and shot arrow after arrow, hitting the center of the target every time. Then, I started tossing up stuffed squirrels, and hitting them straight in the eye. Finally, the Gamemakers, looking a bit impressed, let me go. I rode up in the elevator to our level, where everyone else was waiting.

"How did it go?" Haymitch asked.

"Well, I didn't shoot an arrow at them, but it went fine." Haymitch burst into laughter, ignoring the stares of the other tributes. Katniss just rolled her eyes, and shook her head. "Don't ask."

"How did the rest of you do?" I asked, taking a seat on the sofa. Terra gave a little whimper. "I was awful."

"Oh Terra, only high scores matter." Katniss reassured her.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course."

"I'm going to get an awful score." Rose announced. "But I did it on purpose. I may not have a lot of fighting skills, but I'm fast and great at hiding. They won't pay any attention to me. I'll just sit in a tree the whole time." Everyone gave a little laugh, even Terra.

After a light dinner, we proceeded to the sitting room where the scores would be televised on TV. First they flashed the tribute's picture, then the score. I sat down, Katniss taking a seat next to me.

"Remember, scores only matter if they're high." She said, guessing I was a little nervous. "You know me too well." I said, and she laughed. Tributes scores started flashing, ranging from a 1 to 11. A small 6-year-old girl from District 8 had gotten the 1, and tall, beefy boy from District 7 had gotten the 11. Then, they were flashing our scores. Terra received a 2, Eli a 5. Rose got a 3, Stryder a 7, Fiona a 9, and then they were flashing my score. A 10! So apparently I had impressed them. Haymitch, and Katniss congratulated us, praising mine, Fiona's, and Stryder's scores. Rose had gotten the score she had expected, so she wasn't disappointed at all. Effie was consoling Terra, who was disappointed she had gotten only a 2. Eli didn't seem concerned or upset about getting only a 5.

Everyone retired to their rooms after that, wanting to get a good night's rest. I expected tomorrow would be long, having to get training from Effie and Haymitch.

Katniss and I curled up in bed, and stared out the window for a while.

"So…is the training with Haymitch and Effie anything to look forward to?" She snorted.

"It's awful. But then again, I had to learn to walk in 4-inch heels with a dress that I was constantly tripping over, so maybe it won't be so bad for you."

I laughed. "Maybe not." Katniss drifted off soon after, but I stayed wide awake, sleep remaining out of my reach. I was just beginning to doze off, when Katniss started tossing and turning. She was murmuring things in her sleep, and I caressed her cheek a little, hoping to soothe her. It seemed to work, so I too, drifted off. But a few minutes later, a scream erupted from her mouth. I was awake at once, shaking her, trying to get her to wake up. But she was so far deep in her dream, she wouldn't. She was tossing around, her legs and arms flying, continuing to cry out. Finally, I managed to waken her, and the instant her eyes landed on me, she threw herself in my arms.

"Hey, hey. It's okay. I've got you. Everything's fine." I soothed. A sob escaped her.

"I was watching the Games, and I saw everyone die. Terra and Eli were killed by the careers. Rose died of thirst, Stryder from infection. Fiona was killed in the initial bloodbath, and you… You died at the hands of a boy from District 1, crying out my name as he destroyed you." She got choked up on the last bit, and clutched me tightly.

"Shh. It's okay now. I'm not going to die Katniss. I promise, I will come back to you."

"But the others won't. Rose, little Terra, Stryder, all of them. Gale, 71 people are going to die."

"I know, believe me I know. But I will be the one that comes out. I'm not losing. No matter what." She let out a small sigh, and pressed herself against me. I soothed her back to sleep, gently rubbing her back, and whispering comforting words. Oh, how I loved my girl on fire. And I knew without a doubt, that she loved me back just as strongly. The way it only took the whisper of a few words to comfort her.

It took me a while to get back to sleep after that, but eventually, sleep finally took me in its grasp.

The next morning, when we went down to breakfast, we found Haymitch and Effie were the only ones who had arrived. Within a few minutes, the others had all walked in, and taken a seat.

"So we're getting trained by you and Effie today?" I said, biting into a piece of toast.

"Only the others. You've shown us in the past that you can handle yourself on camera, so I don't think you'll have any problems. Go spend the day with Katniss." Haymitch replied. He didn't say what we both were thinking. That today may be the last day I ever get to spend with Katniss.

"Thanks Haymitch." Katniss said, looking grateful.

"Anytime sweetheart." Katniss and I hopped either, knowing where we would spend the day. We got a bag full of snacks, and ran up to the rooftop garden. The day was warm, and sunny, with a light breeze.

I couldn't remember the last time I had been so relaxed. We laughed, talked, did random games. I was just so glad to be able to forget all my problems, forget that I'd be fighting in the games, forget that I might not be coming back. Forget that this may very well be our last day together.

As the sun began to slip behind the horizon, Katniss laid down, her head in my lap. I leaned against one of the low garden walls, gently stroking her hair.

"Tell me Gale. How do I make this day last forever?"

"I wish I knew. I'd be perfectly content to live this day for the rest of my life, but nothing ever seems to last forever."

"No, one thing does. My love for you. Even if…even if you don't come back, I'll never stop loving you, never stop remembering you, never stop waiting for the day I can see you again."

I gave a soft smile. "Ditto for me." We stayed like that for a while, till the sun had all but disappeared, and the stars began to come out one by one. Neither of us wanted to leave, knowing the instant we did, the day would be over. But finally, we quietly slipped back downstairs, and to our room.

**No Hunger Games quite yet, but I promise, they'll start next chapter. Oh, and if you think the chapters are too long, tell me, and I can split them into two. So either you'd get 2 chapters at once, or chapters more frequently. They're on the long side, so I'm not sure. Hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to review!**


	4. Let The Games Begin!

**And...the Games finally begin! Not quite as long a chapter this time. Next chapter probably won't be done for a few days. The first few chapters were easy because I knew exactly what was going to happen. Now I'm planning out who dies, what happens, when the Games end... I've even had to create a chart to keep track of who I've killed off. Seriously, try keeping track of 72 tributes. Anyway, enjoy!**

The next day was the interviews. Only the girls had to get up early since they needed more work done by the prep team. And Katniss didn't have to have anything done, so we slept in, me especially because it'd be my last time to get a really good night's sleep. There was no way I'd be able to sleep tonight, knowing the Games were the next day.

Finally, we heard a knock outside our door, and Effie's voice telling us to get up. Katniss stirred in my arms. "Time to get up?" She murmured.

"Yeah." I replied, hopping out of bed. After a quick shower, I threw on some sweats, and a t-shirt, knowing I'd just put on my interview outfit later. Katniss got dressed too, and we exited the room. I ate breakfast quickly, gave Katniss a hug, and headed down to the Remake Center. My prep team was waiting, and it was another couple long hours of torture as they got me ready.

Finally, Seria entered the room. After she fixed a couple more things, she said, "Close your eyes." I did, and stepped blindly into my pants, and slipped my shirt on, a jacket going over it.

"Open." Seria said softly, and I did. I was standing in front of a mirror, my eyes widening a little as I saw my outfit. The pants and shirt were black, accented with a little red. But the jacket was the real attraction. It was covered in tiny little lights that blinked on and off.

"Seria, it's amazing." She smiled.

"I thought you'd like it. You're quite handsome in it." I laughed a little.

"Nervous about the interview?" She asked.

"Only a little. I've never really had a problem being in front of a camera." She smiled again.

"You don't seem like the type that would be." Haymitch arrived to take me, and the other tributes out to the front of the Training Center, where a huge stage was set up for the interviews to take place on. Stryder and Eli were dressed in suits, Stryder's dark and mysterious, Eli's shimmery. The girls dressed in fancy dresses that they looked amazing in. Terra looked almost like a candle, Rose a dress similar to Katniss' first one, and Fiona a striking red one that had almost a glow to it.

The other tributes were arriving, and everyone took a seat in front of the stage. Haymitch, Effie, and Katniss were off to the side, watching from there. They had all dressed up for the occasion, and Katniss looked beautiful in her dark blue silk dress, her hair braided up in its usual style. The tributes began to go up to the stage, though I wasn't really paying much attention. This year, Caesar's hair was dyed green, his makeup matching it. The closer I got to my turn, the more nervous I got. Being the oldest boy from District 12, I was the last one to go. The attitudes of the different tributes ranged from sexy, to strong and silent, to humble, to charming, to girly. Terra was more humble, a bit quiet, but Caesar managed to pull her out of her shell. By the end of it, she was laughing, and twirling in her outfit. The audience loved her. Eli was more determined, strong and silent.

"I don't think I'll win." He said. "But I won't stop trying." Caesar and the audience got a little quiet at his comment.

Rose smiled, and waved, the audience cheering for her. "I may not be able to kill someone fifty different ways, but I can hunt, hide, and move quickly. If they can't find me, they can't kill me."

Stryder was silent, almost deadly, his eyes looking anything but friendly. "There may be three times as many tributes, but all that means is that it'll just take 3 times as long to get rid of them. Far as I've seen from training, all they have is strength, and no intelligence. And even strength has to bow to wisdom at times." It got a laugh from the crowd.

Fiona was happy, bubbly, and outgoing. She acted girly, a bit silly, but proud and strong. The crowd seemed to like her as well. She winked at me as she walked back to her seat. Swallowing back my nervousness, I walked up to the stage, shaking Caesar's hand as I sat down.

"So Gale, what's your approach to winning the games? Fighting, or hiding?"

"Well, if I told you that Caesar, I'd be giving the rest of these tributes out here some valuable information, now wouldn't I?" I said, giving the audience a grin. They burst into laughter, and Caesar laughed along with them.

"Well, those opening ceremony outfits, those were quite a spectactul. This is now the third year in a row that District 12 has captured the attention. Why do you think that is?"

"Because we have an element none of the other districts have. Fire. And the only thing that can stop fire is water. As far as I can see, only the Capitol has that, as District 4 isn't exactly known for their brains. You can do anything with fire, and when it gets dark, it's quite an attracting element, a little burst of light in the darkness. It's why we'll continue to outshine them, no pun intended." The crowd roared at that one, while the tributes from District 4 gave him a glare. Caesar chuckled a bit.

"So, what do you think of the new adjustments to the Hunger Games this year?"

The question caught me off guard, and I knew President Snow must have had a hand in it. To test me, to see how I would respond. To see if it looked like I was going to try and start another rebellion.

"A little sad to be honest. I mean, I'm rather fond of the young ones from our District. But, I suppose someone has to die for the cause."

"What cause would that be?"

"Keeping peace in the Districts." I caught Haymitch's eye, and knew I had answered well.

"Well, moving onto another topic, I must say, your stylist stunned us again with that outfit you're wearing. Very striking in it. Surely there's some girl out there who sees something in you."

"Oh there is Caesar, there is. And unlike poor Peeta, I have actually have a chance at keeping her."

"Ah, you don't mean to say young Katniss Everdeen is your girl?"

"Perhaps."

"Well, then she must be a bit nervous about you coming home or not."

"She's not nervous at all. Cuz she knows I'll be the one still standing in the end. I must say Caesar, love is more powerful than almost anything, and it's the reason I'll be going home alive." I was careful with my word choice, knowing that since the Capitol knew what I did in the rebellion, they'd be watching me carefully.

"And I must agree with you. So, you're the new star crossed lovers of District 12. Who knows? Maybe Katniss will get her dream wedding after all. What did you tell her when she told you to win? Because she surely told you to."

"Oh, she did. I promised her I'd come back, and that I would never leave her. I love her more than anything, and I can't bear the thought of not seeing her again." The crowd grew completely silent. "Katniss is an amazing, that girl on fire. She's got such a spirit, such life, and I'm not going to leave her heartbroken. She lost Peeta because he went insane. Too many hard memories, and he just couldn't cope. She won't lose me. I promised her I wouldn't leave her. And I don't go back on my promises."

"I'm sure you don't Gale. And though I've said this once, I believe it's appropriate to say it again. I think I speak for all of Panem when I say our hearts go with you." The crowd gave a tremendous cheer, and I saw Katniss giving me a small smile as I exited the stage. I had outshined all the other tributes, a fact that was confirmed by the looks they gave me.

The minute we were back on our floor, everyone was congratulating me.

"Not bad. Not bad at all." Haymitch said. He leaned down to whisper in my ear. "I knew I was right to not have any doubts about you on camera. Excellent choice of words."

The others said I had done a great job, and then I spotted Katniss in the corner, smiling a little. I reached for her, and she tightly hugged me.

"You were amazing. Absolutely amazing." She whispered.

I smiled, and gave her a quick kiss. Dinner was happy, yet sad at the same time. It'd be the last time all of us ate together. The last time we were together. We went into the arena separately, and probably wouldn't see each other in the morning.

After dinner, Haymitch took us aside.

"None of you are up for the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. Get out of there, and find water. After that, stay alive." Haymitch said quietly, his eyes serious. Terra, tears in her eyes, went up and hugged him, and I thought Haymitch actually might start crying. But he just gently detached her, and left the room. Effie looked at all of us.

"It's been an honor working with you. You know, I think I'm happy to stay with District 12." For once, she didn't say something negative, so I knew she was hurting. She took one last look at us, then dashed from the room, Katniss slipping out after her.

The rest of us stood there for a moment, and I knew it would be the last time I would see some of them alive. Eli had a chance, but Terra would probably be killed tomorrow in the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. She had learned a lot in training, but she had no chance against the older tributes. She was just too young. Silently, we all said goodbye, not daring to say a word for fear of bursting in to tears. The girls reached out to me and the other boys, and we did a group hug, before quietly slipping away to our rooms. I wouldn't see Terra again. I probably wouldn't see Eli, maybe not even Stryder or Rose. They were amazing people, and they were all going to die. Katniss was sitting in our room when I walked in, a sad look on her face. Tears were in my eyes, and spotting me, she jumped up and put her arms around me.

"It'll be okay Gale. Somehow, everything will be okay." I just gave a nod, and got a quick shower. Neither of us slept much that night, and didn't really talk much either. We each knew I might die in the arena, and that it was our last night together. For the first time in years, I cried. Tears slipped down my cheeks, and Katniss silently sobbed into my t-shirt. We stayed like that the whole night, dozing on and off, comforting each other with our prescence. I finally fell asleep in the early morning light, and when I woke up, Katniss was gone.

Katniss' POV

The sun was beginning to rise when I slowly opened my eyes. Gale was asleep, so I quietly slipped out of bed, put on my slippers, and left the room. I first went to Stryder and Eli's room, and gently knocked on the door. Strdyer opened it.

"Katniss, everything okay?"

"Yeah. Can I come in?"

"Of course. " He opened the door wider, and I walked in. Eli was sitting wide awake on his bed, staring out the window. I went over and sat next to him. He looked up at me, his eyes forlorn, and fearful.

"I'm scared Katniss."  
>"I know. Just…fight hard okay? Remember, keep on smiling, keep on trying, and keep on fighting."<p>

"I will. But, we both know I'm not going to survive."

I didn't have the words to respond to him. Already, he knew he wasn't going to live. He was only 10, still hadn't gotten his chance at life. And at 10 years old, he was going to die. It broke my heart.

"Katniss, can you tell my parents that I love them, and not to cry too much? They have to be strong, to not give up. Tell my older brother I wish he had gotten to the chance to teach me how to play baseball, and that I love him very much. And tell my younger sister that I'm proud of her, and know she'll grow up to be someone great."

"I…I will Eli." I said, choking on tears. He sounded so grown-up, so much older than he actually was. Stryder was quietly watching, tears in his eyes. I walked over to him, and gave him a hug. He hugged me back tightly. "Katniss, I want Gale to live. I want him to live because I want you to be able to live. You're an amazing person, and I look up to you. You've already lost Peeta, you don't deserve to lose Gale either."

"You don't deserve to die."

"Katniss, I'm not sure I want to live. I heard you screaming the other night, and know the nightmares must be terrible. To remember all the lives that are gone, remember the people who will never come back, and to know that you killed some of them. I can't handle that. Just, tell my parents I love them too, and that I'll wait for them. Goodbye Katniss."

After a moment, I responded. "Goodbye Stryder." I slipped quietly out, and walked to the girls' room.

Fiona answered the door, and without a word, let me in.

"Is it time?" She asked.

"Not yet." Rose and Terra were curled up on the bed, tears slipping down Terra's cheeks. Silently, I crossed the room, and gently brushed them away.

"I'm going to die today Katniss. I won't survive the Cornucopia." Terra said.

Without a word, I pulled her into my lap, and rocked her back and forth.

"Can you tell my mom and dad that I did my best to make them proud of me, and that I love them more than anything?"

"Of course Terra." She nodded, and hugged me tightly one last time. Then, she crawled out of my lap, and went to the window. I turned to Rose.

"I'll never forget you Rose."

"Nor I you."

"You'll be remembered by everyone, especially in the bread shop. You'll be one of the tributes District 12 always remembers."

"Thank you Katniss. You're an amazing person you know."

"So are you. Don't give up out there okay, even if you feel it's hopeless."

"I won't. I intend to fight to the end, and when I die, I'll die with honor."

I didn't say anything, just gave her hug, a tear slipping down my cheek. Without a word, she quietly turned away. I got up and went to Fiona, who was standing by the bed. Neither of us said a word, just hugged each other.

"Thank you Katniss. For everything."

"I wish I could have done more."

"Trust me, you did more than you know. I'll never forget you."

"I won't forget you either."

"Look, I don't want my parents to have to watch me die slowly. If there's anything you can do to end it quickly, if it comes to that, could you?"

"I promise, I'll do what I can."

She smiled, gave me one last hug, then sat back down on the bed. I hurried to the door, but turned back one last time. They were watching me, and as they watched, I said softly, "Goodbye." A waterfall of tears threatened to spill, so I ran from their room, and back to my own."

Gale's POV

But suddenly, the door opened, and Katniss dashed into the room.

"Where were you?"

"Saying goodbye." She was on the verge of tears, so I quickly took her in my arms, and let her cry her heart out.

"Gale, take this. To remember me by. Seria checked it with the Gamemakers, and said you could wear it." She unfastened her Mockingjay pin, and held it out to me. I took it and silently pinned it on.

"I'll be thinking of you every second I'm in the arena." Then, Seria entered the room, and said 2 words. "It's time."

"Fight hard Gale. Please, please don't leave me!" Katniss cried, clinging to me.

"I won't. I'll win Katniss, I promise I will!" We hugged each other one last time, tears falling down my cheeks, then I forced myself to let go, and ran from the room. I looked back, and saw her standing in the center of the room, looking so lost and scared.

"Be strong." I said, then quickly shut the door. Seria reached for me, and gave me a much needed hug. Without a word, she led me upstairs to the awaiting hovercar that would take us to the arena. The air current froze us, and pulled us up. But when we got inside, the current still held me. A lady with bright red hair inserted a tracker in my arm. It hurt, but I hardly noticed the pain.

Seria begged me to eat something, and I gave in, knowing it'd be my last full meal. It was about an hour ride, and the windows blacked out near the end of it, alerting us that we were nearing the arena. My heart was pounding, and Seria gave my hand a gentle squeeze. The hovercar dropped us in one of the underground tunnels beneath the arena. We were directed to a room where an outfit was laid out for me. There were a pair of sweat shorts, along with a white t-shirt. Over them was a pair of black pants, long sleeve dark green shirt, and a dark brown jacket over it. The shoes were brown boots, with comfortable soles that were good for walking and running.

"What's with the shorts, and pants?"

"Remember, the arena will have multiple terrains. Expect some cool nights, as well as some hot days. Perhaps a forest area, and desert."

"Maybe." I changed into the clothes, pulling the jacket snuggly around me.

"Everything fit?" Seria asked.

"Yeah." I fastened on Katniss' Mockingjay pin, and we sat there for a few minutes, waiting for the call that would send me up.

"Gale, I've enjoyed working with you. You're strong, smart, and fit. You can beat them."

"I'll try. Gosh, I'll try." She gave me a reassuring smile, and then the call came. I stepped onto the small platform, glass panels coming up around me, and I looked nervously back at Seria. She briefly touched her chin, telling me to keep my head high. Bright sunlight greeted me as I the platform rose upwards and reached the surface. I looked around and was greeted by trees in one direction, and a mountain rising behind the trees. Well, it looked like a mountain, but was really more the size of a really large hill.

"Ladies, and gentle, may the 76th Hunger Games begin!" Claudius Templesmith announced.

The buzzer began counting down. Across the open field, behind the Cornucopia, I could see Fiona. She caught my eye for a moment, then turned away.

_5, 4, 3, 2, 1. _The instant the buzzer went off, I flew towards the Cornucopia, my feet slamming into the grass. I heard footsteps behind me, the shouts and yells of the other tributes. But I ignored them all. I snatched up the bow, a knife and a backpack, and skirted around a tribute as I head away from the Cornucopia. I heard a whizzing behind me, and ducked, narrowly missing a knife that went flying over my head. I disappeared into the trees, grateful for the cover they provide. Back at the Cornucopia, tributes were still hacking away at each other, while others were fleeing to the trees like me. I slung the backpack over my shoulders, along with the bow. I wasn't able to get the sheath of arrows, but I could easily carve some with a knife and branch.

I set off at a rapid pace, wanting to put as much distance between me and the Cornucopia as possible. Of course, there was the other Cornucopias to watch for as well. The other 2 age groups were out there somewhere, and some of the older ones could have a shot at taking me down. In the distance, I saw the mountain. There could be more than just forest area, so going up high, and getting an idea of what the arena is like was my best option. I heard a snap of a branch behind me, and spun on my heels, my knife instantly out.

Fiona stood there, a backpack over her shoulder, a spear in one hand. "You think an alliance could benefit us? After all, the Games are going to last awhile. We could stay together a couple weeks, then split."

I ponder her suggestion. An alliance might help, but she could just slow me down. Finally, I decided to give her a chance.

"Alright, but if I think you're endangering me, or slowing me down, it's off, okay?"

She nodded. "Works for me."

Katniss' POV

I sat by Haymitch, watching as the Games are about to start, while Haymitch explained how everything works. The Games Headquarters is split up into the a few sections. There's a top secret room for the Gamemakers where they control basically everything. All the traps, and hidden obstacles can be activated with the press of a button in there. The camera crew has another room where they're constantly monitoring the tributes, as well as controlling which tributes to show to the audience.

The mentors have a huge room to watch the games in. There's a large circular loop, shaped like a donut, that we all sit around, and it's basically one big screen divided into sections. Each District gets a separate section. On the panel in front of us, we could see each and every tribute, with different camera angles; close ups, far away shots, that sort of thing. Around us, there were empty sections, so for example, one of our tributes paired up with a tribute from District 7. District 7 could move over to the empty section beside us, so we can work together on sending gifts. Effie keeps track of who gives what, so if someone donates money or a gift, she notifies us. We can also send out a notice of what our tributes need the most, so people know what to buy, or how much money to send if they're interested.

It's often busy, and you sleep and eat when you can. As Districts lose all their tributes, the number of people in the room gets smaller and smaller as more leave.

The buzzer was counting down, and I was holding my breath, watching Gale. Then it let out a ding, and Gale took off, flying towards the Cornucopia. He seized the bow, a knife and a backpack, and darted away, narrowly missing a knife. Fiona managed to get a backpack too, as well as a spear, then she took off, following Gale into to the trees. They both made it, and I breathed a sigh of relief. But then I was focused on Terra and Eli. The little ones' bloodbath was the hardest to watch. Some of them, confused and scared, just stand there, and are soon killed by the older ones. Terra was running, trying to get to the Cornucopia, and then a knife goes into her back…

I gasp, and turn away, tears slipping out of my eyes. Haymitch sighs, then pats me on the back.

"She had no chance sweetheart. Better she went quickly." I quickly brush away my tears, nod, and turn back to the screen.

Terra's POV

The instant the buzzer goes off, I start running, hoping to get something good before escaping to the cover of the rocks. We were in a rocky area, and it was incredibly hot. I was nearing the Cornucopia, seeing other tributes have already gotten there, fighting, while some run away. Well, sort of fighting. I mean, we're all so young. Some of the younger ones are so scared, and confused, they just stand there. I was running, and running, going as fast as I could, and then I felt the sharp pain in my back.

I cried out, and fell to my knees, a knife stuck in me. I cried out again as the person yanked it out, then darted away. It's a boy, an older one. Blood is slowly soaking my shirt, and I knew it's not going to be a quick death. I'm actually dying. I'm only 8 years old, and I'm dying. I won't live to see my 9th birthday. The pain was intense, strong, and it wasn't going away any time soon. Eli was running towards me, a backpack and knife in hand. He knelt by me briefly.

"Goodbye Terra." He said softly.

"Kill me. Please Eli. I'm not going to live, and the pain is too strong." I sounded so grown up when I said it, and I knew I wasn't not the timid, quiet, playful little girl I once was. That all changed when I was called to be a tribute. It was like I matured 10 years in a matter of 10 days.

"Oh Terra." A tear in his eye, he quickly slashed the knife across my neck, and everything instantly went black.

Katniss' POV

As I watched, I saw Eli kneel by Terra, and whisper something to her. She responded, then he slashed his knife across her neck. I gasped.

"What did he just do?"

"She was dying Katniss. He simply did the kindest thing, and ended her suffering." Haymitch replied.

"At least she didn't have to handle it long." He gave a small nod, and I watched as several bodies fell, killed by the older ones. It's the shortest bloodbath ever, the 9 and 10 year-olds taking care of all the younger ones. And yet, they didn't seem to be doing it just to eliminate an opponent. They looked almost…sad, regretful, as though they're killing the little ones because they could never win, and do it so they don't suffer. All in all, I saw about 12 bodies on the ground. And then my attention was focused on Rose and Stryder. They were on a tropical island, huge, leafy trees surrounding them.

Stryder ran quickly to the Cornucopia, seized a backpack, a couple weapons, and took off. Rose though, isn't so lucky. She tripped as she ran to get something, hopped up back up, realized she's too late, and was about to dash off when an arrow hit her in the neck…

A young girl from District 2, her bow in hand, shot it. Stryder noticed, stopped for a brief moment, but saw Rose was beyond saving. She gave him a look that said, _go. _He looked sadly at her, then darted away. Rose collapsed on the ground, and in a moment, I could tell she stopped breathing. I was struggling to hold myself together, but I managed to keep the tears away. The screens for both her and Terra have gone black. Glancing around the table, I heard sighs from other mentors as their tributes are killed.

Rose's POV

As soon as the minute is up, I started running, but of course, what do I do? I tripped. Stumbled, and hit the ground. By the time I got up, I knew my chance to get something from the Cornucopia was gone. So I turned and started to run, but a sharp pain in my neck stopped me dead in my tracks. An arrow. And I knew I wouldn't be living to see the second day of the Hunger Games.

All because I tripped. All because I didn't stay upright. My life seemed to flash before my eyes; growing up in the seam, taking care of my siblings, the explosion that we barely survived, living in District 13, losing the war, moving back to District 12, working in the bread shop, being called in the reaping, training, and finally, saying goodbye to Katniss only last night. All that and many more things flashed across my mind. I saw Stryder spot me, and he stopped, but I gave him a look that told him to go. I'm past saving, and I want him to win. Though I know he won't. Gale will win. For Katniss. And I want him to. I wanted to win, but now that I'm not going to, I want him to, so that Katniss doesn't go through even more. Stryder gave me a sad look, then disappeared into the bushes. I fell to my knees, blood pouring out of my neck. I heard the shouts and cries of the tributes still fighting, but everything was fading. The world spun away, and I'm plunged into a dizzying darkness.

**Yes, I know. I let Terra and Rose die. But they had to go sometime. Hated writing their death scenes, especially Terra's, but there was just no avoiding it. Make sure to review! Gotten several wonderful reviews, that I very much appreciate. Remember, those who review get spoilers! (If I forget to include it in my response, just pm me. Really busy right now, and I can be very forgetful. So sorry about that)**


	5. A Mountain, An Island, and Trouble

**Here we go! The 5th chapter! Finally got it done. Enjoy! And thanks so much for all the great reviews! Keep 'em coming!**

Gale's POV

"So what's the plan?" Fiona asked softly, keeping her voice low.

"Get to the top of the mountain. Figure out what's around us."

"Sounds good." We stopped talking, and focused on walking. I peered into my pack, and discovered a bottle of water, some dried nuts and fruit, a small knife, and a blanket. Fiona took a look, then showed me hers. She had another bottle of water, a first-aid kit, and binoculars.

"Not a bad haul." I murmured. She nodded in agreement. We walked for several hours, but still, the mountain was no closer. The trees began to disappear, replaced by rock formations, and the temperature rose steadily.

"Well, the second terrain." Fiona said, when the trees had all but disappeared, a rolling landmass of rocks and sand having taken its place.

"If I had to make a guess, I'd say that there's maybe 3 terrains, and one Cornucopia is in each one. Which means we need to-"I stopped mid-sentence, realizing I need branches for some arrows.

"Branches! I wasn't able to get arrows, so I need to carve some out of branches." I jogged back a couple hundred feet, Fiona following me. Together, we gathered several straight branches that look strong, and steady. I put all but one in my pack, and carve it as we walk along. I've made tons of arrows in the past, so it isn't the slightest bit difficult.

"As I was saying, we need to keep an eye for tributes. They're probably around here somewhere. If it's the little ones, we should be fine, but some of the ones in the middle group are dangerous." Another an hour, and we reached a small, crystal clear pond. Water. We've been walking awhile, and a cool drink sounds wonderful. The sun was beating down on us, a heat wave having seemed to have rolled in. There isn't a cloud to be seen, and we're still several hours away from nightfall.

"Does that first-aid kit have any iodine by any chance?" I asked. Fiona checked, and pulled out a bottle.

"Yeah, this for purifying the water, right?"

I nodded. "Why don't we drink the full bottle we have in our packs, then refill and add iodine. Who knows when we'll get more water, and drinking a bit now will keep us going." She agreed, and we took five minutes to drink our bottles of water, refill, and add iodine. Fiona had the idea to dump the first aid stuff in the backpack, and fill up the hard-case it was in with water. It was sturdy, and snapped tightly.

I eyed the water. "Want to jump in?" Fiona pursed her lips. "I don't really want to take the time, but it would feel so good."

"Oh come on. The sun will dry us off quickly, and we'll only take a couple minutes." She gave in, wanting to swim for a minute just as bad as I did. Setting on our packs on the ground, we dove in, the water closing around me. I had a knife in my hand, just in case a tribute decided to drop by. The water was perfectly cool, and refreshing. I wanted nothing more than to close my eyes and float for a while, but that was a luxury I did not have. After a moment, we climbed back out, strapped on our packs, and set off again, the rocky terrain getting harder to navigate. Off in the distance, we heard several canoons. A couple minutes later, we heard another set. The fighting must have stopped at least two of the Cornucopias.

The temperature was stiflingly hot, and going over rock pile after rock pile took a bit climbing. We hiked over another large rock formation, and saw the second Cornucopia. Blood stains were everywhere, though all the bodies had been collected.

"Wonder if Terra and Eli made it." Fiona commented.

"No way of knowing till tonight. Come on, let's see if there's anything useful we can find." We scoured the area, and came up with some knives, an empty sheath, and a couple packs of dried food.

"At least I have something to hold the arrows in." I said.

"Wonder why they didn't take the sheath? Surely they would have wanted it to hold the arrows."

"Who knows?" After walking another 15 minutes, I realized something.

"Fiona, the mountain's not getting any closer." She looked, and we both realized it looked the same as when I saw it at the first Cornucopia.

"It's an illusion." She said slowly.

"That means we've been walking all this way for nothing. And now we don't have any way to figure out the layout of the arena. Great, just great." I kicked angrily at a rock, sending it skittering away.

"Wait…yes we do. Look." She pointed to a huge rock hill several hundred feet away. "It looks pretty tall. We might be able to see enough from there."

"Worth a shot." We set off, and within half an hour, had reached it. It stretched many hundred feet into the air, and would take a bit of climbing. But it was just as long, as it was tall, and there was a bit of slope, instead of being straight up and down.

"Stay here while I go up and take a look." I told Fiona.

"Why?"

"To keep a lookout for any tributes, and to catch me if I fall." I took off my jacket, and began climbing. It was hot, sweaty work, but 30 minutes later, I reached the top. Fiona was just a speck on the ground, and peering into the distance, I could the forest, and beyond that, something that shimmered and sparkled. I couldn't tell exactly what it was, and then it hit me. Water. Looked like a tropical area, with an island in the middle. So I was right about the three terrains. And the arena was huge. The desert continued to stretch out into the distance, and I could only get a glimpse of the island using the binoculars. It was getting dark, and I realized I needed to get down quickly. Going down in the dark would be nearly impossible. But going down was a lot harder than going up. It took me twice as long, and I was relieved when my feet finally landed on solid ground.

"What did you see?" Fiona asked.

"The forest, and what looked water behind that. A tropical island maybe. All around is desert with sand and rocks. Probably better to head back to the forest. We won't find much to eat here."

"Okay, this must be why they gave us shorts."

"Yeah, we should probably keep going. Find some place to camp out for the night."

"I agree." The temperature started to drop, and we pulled on our jackets, grateful for the extra warmth they provided. We set off, skirting around the Cornucopia when we came to it. After a couple more hours of walking, we came across a small cave that was well hidden. Night had all but fallen, and stars dotted the sky. As much as I preferred to be in a tree, I knew we wouldn't be able to get there tonight.

"Looks like a good place to stop." Fiona said.

"Yeah, best place we're going to find." I ducked into the entrance, but hearing a small cough I instantly whipped out my knife.

"Who's there?"

A small gasp sounded from the corner of the cave.

"Please, please don't kill me!" A voice whimpered.

"Come out where we can see you." Fiona ordered, and a moment later, a small girl crawled over.

"How old are you?" I asked.

"Se-Seven." She stammered. I glanced at Fiona.

"We can't just kill her."

"No." She agreed. "What's your name?"

"Eva."

"Eva, we're not going to kill you." Fiona said.

"You're not?"

"No. You can sleep with us tonight, but we're leaving in the morning."

"Can I come with you?" Eva asked.

"Sorry, but no." I replied. "We can't risk taking another person."

She gave a small nod.

"Go get some sleep." Fiona said. Eva nodded, and crawled to her corner. Fiona and I settled in, arranging our stuff around us.

"I'll take the first-"Fiona started to say when Eva crawled back over, and rested her head on Fiona's shoulder.

"And this is the part where I break down and say she come with us." Fiona sighed.

"Fiona, you know she can't."

"I know, I know. But as I was saying, I can take the first watch."

Just then, we heard the anthem, and Fiona and I quickly crawled out to see who had died. This year, they did it by age group and district, starting with the youngest ones. The girl from 1, boy from 3, girl from 4, both from 5, boy from 6, both from 7 and 8, girl from 9, boy from 10, and Terra from 12. Fion sucked her breath when she saw Terra, but honestly, we had both been expecting it. They moved onto the next age group. None from the first 4, which was no surprise. The girl from 5, boy from 7, both from 8, girl from 9, and Rose from 12. Fiona gasped, and let out a small cry as she saw Rose's face. I hadn't thought she would get killed, and was a little saddened by it. And finally, the last age group. None from Districts 1-5, a boy from 6, a girl from 7, boy from 9, and boy from 10. They flashed the anthem symbol, and it was over. A few tears slipped down Fiona's cheeks, and she hurriedly slipped back inside the cave.

Since she was taking the first shift, I leaned against the wall, and drifted off into a light sleep. A few hours later, Fiona woke me up so I could take the second watch. Eva was still curled up by Fiona, who was soon asleep. Pulling out a knife, I guarded the entrance, and carved several arrows out of the branches. When the sun began rise, I woke Fiona up, and we set about getting ready to leave.

We were both starving, so we had a sip of water, as well as couple dried nuts and fruit. Eva had woken up to, and was eyeing the food.

"Eva, did you get anything from the Cornucopia?" Fiona asked.

Eva shook her head. "I just ran away as fast as I could." Fiona looked at me, and I shrugged.

"Might as well."

"Here Eva." Fiona handed her a couple pieces of dried fruit, and Eva's eyes widened.

"Thank you!" She quickly ate them, and as we were about to leave, Fiona looked back, seeing Eva looked at us, her eyes longing.

"Gale." She said softly. I looked at Eva for a moment and sighed. I knew we shouldn't let her come. She'd slow us down, and I had to get out of this arena alive. But she reminded me so much of Posy…

"Eva, how would you like to come with us?" I offered.

"Really?" Eva exclaimed.

"Yeah, we could use someone as smart as you." Eva jumped up and gave me a hug. Great. Now I was getting attached to her, and would break down when she died.

"Come on." We left the cave, and set off for the forest, Eva keeping up amazing well. She didn't complain a bit, mostly because she was probably worried we'd leave her behind if she did. A few hours later, we reached the forest, and I put an arrow on my bow string, ready to fire if necessary. We treaded carefully, and I stopped to make a few snare traps along the way.

But suddenly, off to our right, we heard voices.

"In the tree! Quick!" I hissed. Fiona scrambled for the nearest tree, yanking Eva up with her. I climbed up, disappearing into the branches as soon as the tributes arrived. It was the Careers, the older ones looked like it.

"Well, well. What do we have here? A snare trap by the looks of it."

"Maybe that Gale kid made it." One of them snorted in response.

"You saw how bad he was at making a snare trap? The kid couldn't make one if his life depended on it." I smiled inwardly.

"Come on. Let's keep going." Their footsteps faded away, and we stayed in the tree for several more minutes, just in case they came back. Signaling for the girls to stay put, I jumped down. Luck was with me, for a rabbit had gotten caught in my snare trap. I stuck the rabbit in my backpack, and redid the snare trap.

"You can come down. I got a rabbit."

"Yum." Fiona said, helping Eva down. We started walking again, laying more traps, and doing some scavenging for food.

A couple days passed, with only one person dying, but President Snow had said the number of traps and obstacles would be higher, so we were ready for anything. On the fourth day of being in the arena, we came across our first one.

We had decided to keep to the forest, since it was the most well-known for me, and would be the easiest place to find food. We were walking in a dense thicket of trees, when movement off to the right caught my attention.

"Stop." I said, putting up a hand for the girls to stop. I drew my knife out, and went to investigate. All of a sudden, a snake head popped out at me.

"Ahh!" I yelled, jumping backwards. Instantly, the trees around us came to life with snakes.

Eve screamed, Fiona clamping a hand over her mouth to muffle the girl's scream.

"Move!" I ordered, shoving the girls back in the direction we had come. But it was blocked, a wall of snakes rising up to greet us. The forest floor came alive with a whirling mass of snakes, their head snapping and hissing. Eva was screaming, Fiona and I trying to keep them off.

"Gale, we have to get out of this area! It's our only chance for survival! There's no way we can possibly kill them all!"

"I know!" I yelled back. "I have an idea. Follow my lead!" She nodded, and with a knife in each hand, I began spinning, slashing off snake head, after snake head. But the other snakes seemed to be unbothered by the fact that their comrades were getting beheaded, confirming that they were indeed mutts and were being controlled. Fiona did what I was doing, Eva in the middle. Slowly, we began to press forward, snake heads flying everywhere.

And then, the snakes began to disappear as we continued to make progress. Finally, we collapsed on the ground, all the snakes having disappeared. We were covered in snake gore, and laid there for a few minutes to catch our breath.

Knowing we couldn't stay in one place for long, we got to our feet, and found a small river nearby to clean off. Eve was shaking, and Fiona pulled her into her lap to calm her down. Eva really was the sweetest little thing, and we couldn't help but love her to pieces.

"I'm-I'm sorry." Eva said softly. "Please don't leave me behind."

"Eva, why would we leave you behind?" Fiona looked surprised by the young girl's question.

"Because I was screaming, and was scared."

"Eva." I took her hand in mine. "Everyone feels scared at least once in a while. Trust me, I was scared out of my mind. And you're young. If I had been your age, I probably would have been screaming my head off too." Eva looked immensely relieved. Actually, I probably would have either been trying to kill it or make friends with it, but Eva didn't need to know that.

We slept in a tree again that night, eating some squirrel we had cooked earlier that day for dinner. After making sure Eva and Fiona were buckled against the tree, I leaned back, and gazed up at the stars, waiting for them to play the anthem and announce today's deaths. We had heard two cannons, signaling that someone had died. That made only 2 deaths since the initial bloodbath, which meant there had to be some other action going on somewhere.

The anthem came on, and they flashed a face of one of the youngest girl and the boy from the middle group from District 2. So the Careers had lost two more people. Rather unusual this early in the games.

"Wonder how Stryder and Eli are doing?" Fiona commented.

"No way of knowing. Stryder's probably doing fine, considering how prepared he seemed to be."

"We thought that about Rose too."

"I know, I just can't believe she's gone. She didn't seem like the type that would be killed in the bloodbath. She was so determined, so _strong._"

Fiona sighed, and didn't respond. We both slipped off to sleep, for once, getting a decent night's rest. The next morning, I was awakened by the sound of a Mockingjay. Alert at once, I glanced around, and heard the crack of a branch. Silently, I woke Fiona up, and pulled out my bow.

A young boy appeared, but hidden in the branches, I couldn't get a very look at him. Fiona had her spear in hand, and we silently watched the boy. After a moment, he walked away.

"Who was he?" Fiona whispered.

"Kid from District 9 I think. Not much of a threat. The Careers will most likely take care of him later." I replied, and got down. Fiona woke up Eva, and they both jumped down. I started to say something when sweat started dripping down my brow.

"Gosh, where'd this heat come from?" I said, and that's when I started to blister. "Go!" I shouted, grabbing Fiona's arm, and yanking her along. The heat was intense, and I felt like I was in one big, hot oven. Up ahead, we could see the trees starting to thin out.

"They're pushing us out of the forest. Probably looking for some action." Fiona said, Eva on her back.

"This isn't enough action?" I responded, but the minute we left the clearing of the trees, the heat did indeed stop. And who else would be striding towards us but the Careers.

"Oh, they want some action all right." I muttered, and pulled out my bow. Glancing around, I could see a lake diagonally from us, a tropical island in the middle of it. Straight ahead was most forest area. Fiona had her spear in hand, ready to fight, while Eva stood behind her, her eyes wide.

"Eva, can you swim?" I asked.

"A little."

"Well, when I saw go, run for the lake, and jump in."

"Okay."

I faced the careers, an arrow on my string. There were five of them, so they must have split up into two packs this year. From what it looked like, it was the three youngest boys, the only ones still alive from that age group in the Careers, and the two tributes from District 1 in the second age group.

"Fiona, the little ones look like 10-year-olds. Just as dangerous. Don't hesitate to shoot them. We won't be killing innocent kids if we do." She nodded. They started running towards us, and I sent an arrow flying. It was a lucky shot, incredibly fast, and buried itself the side of one of the youngest boy from District 4. He cursed, and dropped to his knees. The others kept running.

"Eva go!" I shouted. It was a fast-paced battle, Fiona and I dodging the Careers, and we both wound up with injuries. When it was all over, 2 Careers were dead, including the one I had originally shot. The other 3 quickly scattered, not interested in more of their blood being spilled. We ran off too, towards the lake.

Fiona had a cut on her leg, me one on my arm, as well as several small scratches.

"You okay?" She asked, as I tore of a strip of my t-shirt, and tied it around the wound.

"Yeah, you?"

"Nothing serious. Who was the other one we killed?"

"The youngest boy from District 2. Can't believe we actually got away alive."

"Eh, they were actually Careers who weren't expertly trained. Lazy I think." I laughed, and strapping my bow on me, dove into the water.

"The island?" Fiona called, pulling Eva onto her shoulders.

"Might as well." It was about a 1-mile swim, with Eva altering between swimming, and hanging onto us. Finally, we collapsed on the sand, drenched, and exhausted.

"We can't stay out in the open." I said after a moment, getting to my feet. "We need to scope out the area, and keep an eye for tributes. If I had to take a guess, I'd say the middle group of tributes started out here." Fiona nodded, and she and Eva followed me into the trees. It was like a jungle, with huge palm trees, bright flowers, bushes, and leafy undergrowth. The temperature was rather comfortable, with a cool breeze.

With an arrow on my string, I stepped carefully, Eva behind me, with Fiona, holding a spear, taking up the rear. "Be careful. Something doesn't seem quite right." I said softly. The minute the words were out of my mouth, a splash of something bright red shot past me. I pulled back, but a few drops hit my shirt. Where it hit, it burned through the cloth. All around us, bright red flowers popped out from behind the trees.

"Get down!" Fiona snapped, yanking Eva to the ground. Red liquid started shooting out, and we began jumping and dodging. But when a splash hit my jacket, it had no effect on it, and something dawned on me. "Fiona, the jackets are resistant to it." I shouted, yanking the jacket over my shoulders. Fiona quickly pulled hers on, and helped Eva with hers. "Follow me!" I started running, searching for an opening in the trees to get out of range. And finally, we did. As soon as we were out, we leaned against a tree, panting.

"You guys okay?"

"Not really, and neither is Eva." We were all covered in burns, and though the jackets had helped, they didn't cover all of us. The burns stung, and hurt like crazy. "Let's see if we can find a river or pond, or something." I said.

"What about the lake?" Fiona asked.

"Don't know if we can get back to it without running into those flowers." With a little searching we managed to find a small pool of water, and splashed some on the burns. It helped, but not enough.

I glanced up at the sky. "It's getting dark. We should find a tree to stay the night in, and find food in the morning." Fiona nodded in agreement.

We got into a tree, belted ourselves and were about to drift off to sleep, when the Panem seal showed up. The faces of the two youngest girls from District 10 and 6, and the youngest boy from District 5 showed up in the sky, as well as the Careers we killed. Big day today.

"How many is that now?" I asked Fiona. She thought a moment. "30 I think." I sighed. "Still got a long way to go." Eventually I heard her breathing even out, and knew she had fallen asleep. But for me, sleep was still far from my grasp. "Oh Katniss. What I would give to see you now." I murmured. A couple hours later, I dozed off.

The next day, we set about trying to find food. There wasn't a bit of meat to be found, though fruit seemed to be plentiful. Bananas, berries, pineapple, you name it. It was a rather relaxing day, till the swarm of bees showed up. We were near the beach when we heard a loud buzzing noise. The next instant, swarms of bees were bearing down on us.

"Trackerjackers?" Fiona yelled.

"Don't thinks so!" I yelled back. "Get to the water!" We sprinted the few feet to the water, and dove in, plunging beneath the waves. The water was freezing, but it kept the bees away. A moment later, I broke the surface, gulping in air. Fiona was next to me, Eva clinging to her shoulders.

"You guys get stung?" I asked. Fiona shook her head. "No, and the water feels great on our burns."

"Yeah." I agreed, and it did feel great. It was a wonderful cooling sensation that ended the moment we left the water. "Can't we stay on the beach?" Eva asked.

"I wish, but we should probably check the rest of the island. Maybe they'll us alone for a while. First heat wave that pushed us into the Careers, then the flowers, now the bees. I think we've gotten our fair share of camera time!" I raised my voice at the last sentence. Fiona gave me a shocked look, and I laughed. "Just kidding! Sort of." Fiona shook her head.

"It's all going to your head." I laughed again, and we started trekking deep and deeper into the jungle. We had picked a ton of fruit, a fact I was grateful for when we saw how little food was to be found. A few hours later though, we ran into a problem.

"Fiona, haven't we seen this tree before?" I said, staring at a tree nearby. Fiona looked.

"Yes." She said slowly. We took another direction, but wound up right back at the same tree.

"Great, we're lost." Fiona said, looking irritated.

"You'll never get out." A voice said behind us. I whirled around, my bow in hand. Stryder stood behind us, or rather leaned behind us. He was gripping a tree for support, barely staying upright.

"Stryder!" Fiona gasped, rushing to his side. He leaned heavily against her. "I've been stumbling around here for days. Hardly any food or water. There's no way out."

"We got in. There's got to be a way out." I said, pulling some berries out of my backpack. Stryder's eyes widened. "Here man. You look like you haven't eaten in days." Stryder grabbed the berries. "I haven't." He muttered. "All I could find has been some sort of leafy plant, and what was in my pack."

"Well, eat up. We've got plenty."

"Thanks." Stryder said in between mouthfuls. His face was pale, and he had already lost a bit of weight. "I don't know how, but we gotta get off this island. The whole thing's a landmine. Traps and dangers at every turn. Many of the tributes realized it, and got out. I was one of the unlucky ones that didn't."

Katniss' POV

I was losing my mind. Every time Gale faced a danger, I gripped the armrest of my chair, waiting for it all to be over. I was so scared I'd lose him. I could have smacked him for teaming up with Eva, but looking at the girl, I could see why he did. She reminded me so much of Rue, and I knew it wouldn't be easy watching her die. Every time Gale faced something, the snakes, the heat wave, the Careers, the bees, the shell around my emotions broke just a little more. I'd be a wreck by the time the Games were over.

But overall, Gale was faring rather well. Both he and Fiona were. And even Eli wasn't doing half-bad. He was staying on the edge of the forest, and while he wasn't in the greatest shape, he was holding his own. I couldn't say the same for Stryder. He got trapped in the island, and had been wandering around for days. I wanted to send him something, but Haymitch refused. We both knew who had the best chance of winning, and it wasn't Stryder. But I was rather relieved when Gale and Fiona found him, though the relief didn't last long. Now, I was worrying if any of them would ever get off that island alive.

**Good, bad, horrible? Not the greatest chapter in terms of the actual writing aspect, but it'll work I suppose. Make sure to review!**


	6. Continuing to Fight

**Another long chapter, but I rather enjoyed writing it. Enjoy!**

We spent the next 2 days figuring out how to out of that maze-like area, but our troubles didn't stop there. Stryder had been right about the island. Danger after danger popped up out of the blue, surprising us at every turn. The island had everything from quicksand to snare-like traps to flesh-eating flowers, to poisonous gas, to landslides, to mutant animals. We were on that island for 2 weeks, and the number of tributes dead went from 30, to 45. District 5 was out completely, and only three of the youngest ones were left. One from Districts 4, 9, and 12. Eva was from 9, and the one from 4 was probably with other Careers. District 7 only had the oldest boy left. Little by little, the number of players left on the field was shrinking.

Stryder stuck with us, an unspoken agreement being reached that he would stay with us.

Four of us worked our way off that island, but only 3 made it back to the forest.

We had finally gotten out of the inner island, the area filled with every trap imaginable. "Look, the beach!" Fiona cried as we spotted it, then clamped a hand over her mouth as she yelled. I quickly put a bow on my string, and we stepped more carefully. But after a few minutes, no one appeared.

Stryder looked almost happy as he saw the beach. "Never thought I'd get off-"He was cut short by a young girl's scream. I whirled around, and spotted Eva, a poison dart in her throat. She fell to the ground, a cry escaping her. Four people stepped out of the trees, the oldest ones from District 11, and the oldest boys from Districts 7 and 8. They were some of the stronger ones, and are well equipped.

Eva was crying, and I knew the poison from the dart was seeping into her bloodstream. It would be a long and painful death for her. I made eye-contact with Fiona, and she gave just a slight nod of her head. While she and Stryder distracted the four tributes, I hurried to Eva's side.

"Eva, you're not going to live." I whispered.

"I know." She tearfully replied.

"Look, I'm going to end it for you. Make the pain stop. Do you trust me?"

"Y-Yes." Tears continued to stream, and she started to gasp. I slashed the knife across her throat, and her eyes went wide for a minute, before closing. A cannon sounded. "Goodbye Eva." I said softly, and turned back to the fight. Fiona and Stryder were barely keeping the four at bay. Quickly, I put an arrow on my string, and let it fly. It hit its target, and sank into the throat of the boy from District 7. Just like that, District 7 was out of the Games. The three turned to pay attention to me, and I ducked as a knife whizzed past my head.

Hoping Fiona and Stryder would take my lead, I dove into the water, gulping in air before I disappeared beneath the surface. I heard 2 splashes behind me, and caught sight of Fiona's red hair, Stryder's brown. I started swimming, holding my breath as long as I could. When black spots swarmed in front of my eyes, I pushed upwards, gasping as I took in air. I glanced behind, and could see the three remaining tributes hadn't followed. Fiona and Stryder were nearby, and we swam the rest of the way towards shore. As I exited the water, I squeezed the excess droplets from my clothes, and waited for Stryder and Fiona. They were soon beside me, Fiona swiping away tears.

"Poor Eva." She said, glancing back towards the island.

"She wasn't going to win Fiona. Better sooner than later." Stryder said gently, but despite the wisdom in his words, got no response from her. And while he was right, I knew it didn't lessen the pain any. Both of us had gotten attached to Eva, but I refused to cry. Sure, guys did cry, despite what girls thought, but I still wasn't going to break down in front of all of Panem.

Later that day, we found a cave, small, but comfortable. A pond was nearby, and provided fresh drinking water. "Why don't we spend a couple days here? Relax and get some strength back." I suggested. The island traps had worn us down, and we were all covered in cuts, bruises and burns. My whole body was exhausted, and I longed for a good night's rest. Fiona's first-aid kit helped the injuries, but it didn't have everything we needed. I had a nasty gash on my leg, and my left wrist seemed to be sprained. They both agreed to my suggestion, and the next 3 days were spent hunting, sleeping, and keeping a look-out. Only one death occurred, and I knew the audience would be ready for some bloodshed. But once again, things took a turn for the worst.

It started just as the sun was beginning to go down on the 3rd day. I felt a little dizzy and lightheaded, but I decided to ignore it, figuring I just needed some food. But when I tried to eat a bit of squirrel, my stomach turned, and I shoved it away. Fiona and Stryder looked at me curiously.

"You okay Gale?" Stryder asked.

"Yeah, just not hungry. I'm going to go get some fresh air." I said, leaving the cave.

"We'll come with you. I wouldn't mind some myself." Stryder replied, and he and Fiona got up to follow me. I leaned against a nearby tree, staring off into the distance. My legs suddenly felt weak, and spots swarmed in front of my eyes.

"Stryder…" I gasped, and collapsed into his arms. The world went black.

Katniss' POV

When Gale collapsed, I panicked. "What's wrong with him Haymitch?"

"I don't know sweetheart." Haymitch replied, his eyes glued to the screen. The mentor from District 9 had moved back to his station when Eva died, so it was just us now. District 5 had left, and a few hours ago, District 7 as well. The room was slowly emptying. I watched as Fiona helped Stryder get Gale inside. They got him situated in a corner of the cave, and kept watch over the entrance, and him all night long. The next day, he was no better.

He seemed to have developed a fever, and wouldn't wake up. Fiona and Stryder were clearly getting more worried. They split their time between hunting, watching over him, and talking. Fiona and Stryder had been friends back in District 12, and they had some touching moments in the cave, exactly what the audience loved. While no romance developed, each of them spilled out some of their feelings, and stared relying on each other more as they kept watch over Gale. I knew the Capitol had to be loving it. They adored sentimental moments like these.

Two days passed, with one more death of a tribute, and District 9 was now out of the Games. Gale continually got worse, and I was getting more panicked by the hour. His face was white, had a high fever, and wouldn't wake up. I couldn't lose him. Because if I did, I'd lose it. Completely and totally lose it. I'd wind up like Annie, half-mad, or probably more like fully mad.

Haymitch notified Effie that Gale needed medicine, but we didn't get any gifts offered right. That is, until we received one from District 12. It was a money donation, and a note was attached.

_Dear Haymitch and Katniss,_

_We've been collecting money for some time now, and were planning to wait to use it until closer to the end, but with Gale barely holding on, we decided the time to use it was now. Much of District 12 pitched in, even if it was only a coin or two. Rory gave up all his savings for Gale, saying his brother needed it more than he did. It may not be enough for the medicine, but we hope and pray that it is. We're still collecting, so expect more later. All of us fully intend to have another District 12 winner. _

_Give Fiona, Stryder, and Gale our love. Everyone's watching with baited breath, hoping one of them can pull through. Hang in there Katniss. Stay strong, just like Gale told you to. _

_Sincerely,_

_All of District 12_

Haymitch gave a smile, and counted the money. "It's enough for the medicine Gale needs." He said, and I couldn't stop a grin from breaking out on my face. Haymitch ordered for the medicine to be bought, and a couple minutes later, a silver parachute floated down. Fiona grabbed it, and smiled when she saw the needle. Quickly taking it inside, she stabbed it into Gale's arm. The color slowly began to come back, and a few hours later, Gale opened his eyes.

Gale's POV

I slowly opened my eyes, Fiona's and Stryder's faces coming into view.

"What happened?" I said hoarsely.

"You got sick on us is what happened. Scared the heck out of us Gale." Stryder said, and I sat up. "Well, I feel a lot better now."

"It's all thanks to this." Fiona said, holding up the needle. A tag was attached to it that read, _With Love, District 12._

I couldn't help but smile, and looked up towards the ceiling of the cave. "Thanks you guys." Over the next couple hours, Fiona and Stryder hovered over me, making sure I ate plenty, and drank a bit of water.

"So, any deaths?" I asked, finishing up the bottle of water.

"Just one. District 9 is now out." Stryder replied.

"How many players left?"

"Twenty-four. Fourty-eight are dead." Fiona answered.

"How are the Careers doing?"

"Not as well as they usually do. Probably because there's some stronger players this time, and there wasn't a ton of food in the Cornucopia on the island." Stryder said.

"Any based nearby?"

"Yes. The Cornucopia's not far, and they have a bunch of food there with guards." He replied.

"Then I suggest we go take care of that in the morning."

"How?" Fiona looked at me curiously.

"You'll see." I said, giving a sly smile. That night, took turns watching, though Fiona and Stryder insisted I sleep the whole night. And I didn't really argue with them. Whatever sickness I caught had left my body pretty weak. It'd be a few days before I had all my strength back.

The next morning we packed up, since I figured we wouldn't be able to risk staying in this area. Not with the Careers probably going rampant, and chasing after us.

"What's your idea?" Stryder asked as we left the cave.

"I need to see where they are first to see if it will work. We'll need to get as close as possible." I replied. Within a few minutes, we had reached the clearing.

"There's six of them. The oldest ones that are left, and along with the youngest one. The ones from the middle group formed their own alliance." Stryder whispered.

"How do you know?" I whispered back.

"Did some spying on them while you were sick." I nodded, and studied their area for a moment. There was a mound of food, covered in burlap sacks near the Cornucopia. Three guards stood around it, the youngest girl appearing to be one of them. They were all heavily armed, and looked as deadly as ever.

"We could never attack Gale." Fiona hissed.

"I know. All I'm trying to do is get rid of the food. Here's my idea. We find a tree heavy with leaves that's easy to hide in. You two will hide up inside it. I'll set one of my arrows on fire, and shoot it at the food. With any luck, the food will catch fire, and burn a lot, if not all, of it. Hopefully they'll try to beat out the flames while I get over to you guys and hide as well."

"No way. If they catch you, you're a goner." Stryder said.

"It's a risk we have to take."

"No, I'll shoot the arrow. You can't take the risk Gale. You're the one that's going home, remember?" Fiona replied. Stryder nodded in agreement.

"I've been using a bow for years. And I don't want you 2 protecting me. I want to get home, but I don't want you two to sacrifice yourself for me. The only way to get rid of the Careers is to destroy their food. This is the best shot at doing that." Stryder sighed.

"I hate to admit it, but he's right Fiona. This is our best chance at weakening the Careers."

"Alright, alright. I give in. Now let's go find a good hiding spot." A couple hundred feet away, we found two trees, both covered in thousands of leaves. Stryder climbed up to test my idea, and thankfully, we couldn't see him.

"Perfect. Now you two climb up, and stay quieter than quiet. Not one sound. I'll be back as soon as I can." They both nodded, and Fiona was about to climb up when she stopped.

"Gale, make an arrow from a live tree. If you burn bark that's still alive and green, it'll burn longer."

"Good idea." I replied, and quickly carved an arrow out of a nearby branch. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck." The both said, and I hurried back. I crouched on the very edge of the clearing, and using a match Stryder had, lit the arrow. It started burning, but burned slowly. Putting it on my string, I took aim, and let it fly. It soared through the air, startling the Careers. Six of them were there now, so the other 2 must have come back. The arrow hit the food, and burst into flames.

The Careers started panicking, trying to beat out the fire, and save the food. But it was hopeless. The fire spread quickly, and soon, there was a nice bonfire in the middle of the Cornucopia. I took off, ducking under branches, and leaping over fallen logs. Soon, I had reached the two trees, and practically flew into it, feeling Fiona's hand reach out of haul me up. Stryder was crouched in the tree nearby, and anxiously, we waited. Sure enough, the Careers came crashing through the trees, cursing and yelling. They would have alerted anyone of their presence within a 5-mile radius, but in the state they were in, it didn't matter. They were beyond angry at losing the food, and would have hacked down anyone that got in their way.

"Where are you little tribute?" One of them called out. Fiona and I stayed completely still, hardly daring to breathe. The Careers were about to head off, when Stryder fell…

He let out a shout as he tumbled downwards, and hit the ground. The Careers were instantly on top of him.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Thought you were pretty smart, setting our food on fire, did you?" The girl from District 1 sneered. Stryder said nothing, and in one fast move, stabbed the girl in the stomach. Her eyes went wide, and she collapsed.

"Pony!" The boy from her district yelled, but when the cannon sounded, he yanked Stryder up by his collar. "First you burn our food, then you kill Pony. Boy, you are going to pay."

"Daren, wait." The boy from District 4 said. "He doesn't have a bow. He must have an accomplice. Poppy, check the tree." He said, and the youngest girl from his District scampered up.

"No one!" She called back.

"They must be somewhere." Daren pressed a knife against Stryder's throat.

"Gale!" Stryder screamed, looking off into the distance, then clamped his hand over his mouth. "Oops." The boy from District 4 laughed. "Daren, you can have your fun while we go take care of Gale. I've been hoping to take him out, so this is gonna be fun." The three ran off, while Daren threw Stryder to the ground, and pulled out a knife. "Hope you have a high pain threshold ." He said with a laugh.

Stryder didn't say a word, just pulled out his own knife. "If you think you're so strong, fight me like a man, instead of killing me on my knees." Daren laughed again. "As you wish. Let's give the Capitol some entertainment, shall we?" The fight began, and they circled around each other before Daren made the first move. Back and forth they went, and Stryder received far more injuries than Daren did. But he looked stoic, strong, proud. He wasn't going out a weakling. Daren got a couple cuts, but nothing serious. And finally, when Stryder collapsed from blood loss, blood pouring out of numerous cuts, Daren slashed down 3 times before a cannon finally sounded.

"So long pretty boy." Daren said, and ran off. A hoverlift appeared, and Stryder's body was removed from the arena.

Stryder's POV

I knew I wasn't going to survive. Daren was just too strong. I could only hope Gale and Fiona would stay hidden in the trees. No reason for them to die with me. I tried to get in as many blows as I could, but Daren was one of the stronger ones, and before I knew it, my clothes were drenched in blood. I was dizzy, but I kept going. I wasn't going to die a coward's death.

I fought as long as I could, never slowing, never giving up. I would stay strong, never give up, and go out a hero. But finally, it was too much. I fell, my legs crumpling beneath me. The pain was intense, a sort of stabbing pain, coming and going in flashes. The sounds began to fade, the lights began to dim, the pain began to ebb away. And as Daren slashed down a third time, I closed my eyes on the world forever. The darkness sucked me in, and I knew Stryder Hills was no longer.

Gale's POV

Fiona and I watched, wishing desperately we could do something. But Stryder would have hated us for it. He knew he wasn't going to survive, and he wouldn't want us to be taken out with him. We stayed in the tree that night, not yet daring to venture out of the tree.

The next morning, Fiona and I hunted, and I could see Fiona was beginning to fall apart.

"I can't do this anymore Gale. First it was Terra and Rose, then it was Eva, and now it's Stryder. I can't keep watching people die." She said at last.

"I know, gosh, I know. But we have to stay strong. District 12 needs us to." She only nodded a little, and we continued hunting. We kept a sharp eye out for the Careers, but when we got a look at once was their food, we figured they had more pressing matters on their hands. The day was pretty uneventful, since the audience had gotten quite a show yesterday. But we knew it wouldn't last long. We had been the arena for over a month, and the number of players was beginning to dwindle. About 50 had no died, leaving 22 on the field. And the end of the Games was always the most spectacular.

I wondered if they were doing interviews yet. They might have done them sooner since there were so many more players. I thought of Mom, and the kids. I thought of Katniss. I would have given anything to see them. And I knew that I would do just about anything to get home. I didn't want Fiona to die, but I had to get home to Katniss. I made her a promise, and I wasn't about to go back on it.

The next day, we continued hunting and walking. We saw no one, and no dangers popped out, so we figured there had to some action somewhere. Even if tributes weren't dying, someone would be fighting something somewhere to keep the audience entertained. Another couple days passed, and 2 more tributes died, making the number left in the arena around 20. Districts 8 was now out too, so that made 4 that had left.

Our respite about 3 days after Stryder's death. Fiona and I were trekking through the trees when she suddenly gasped, and went flying up in the air, a vine wrapped around her leg. I took a step forward, and found the same thing happen to me. There we were, dangling in mid-air, unable to get down.

"Fiona, can you cut the vine?" I asked, a knife in my hand.

"Not at this angle." She replied, having failed to be able to even get to the vine. She hung helplessly from the tree branch. I was able to get a small cut in before the strain at holding myself up was too much. With a gasp, I fell back down, and stared angrily up at the vine.

"Now what do we do?" Fiona asked.

"Just give me a moment to think." I wrapped my free leg around my caught one, trying to think of a plan. We were sitting ducks hanging here, or I guess in this case, hanging ducks, and if a tribute walked by, we were as good as dead.

"Need some help?" A voice asked. I turned and who else would be walking through the trees but Eli. He was thin, his jacket ripped, a bandage around one arm, but other than that, he didn't look too bad.

"You've certainly exceeded everyone's expectations." Fiona said. "Looking pretty good."

"Thanks. I've gotten lucky. Why exactly are you hanging from a tree?" Eli replied.

"Oh, cuz it's fun. Helps us think, hanging upside down like bats." I said. Eli eyed me warily, and I just shrugged. "I've been in this arena far too long." Eli chuckled. "Join the club. Brace yourself. I'm about to cut the vine." He climbed up in the tree, and reached out, sawed away at the vine.

He seemed older, so much more grown-up. The Games had taken away his childhood, forced him to become more mature and responsible far before he was ready. I put my hands out to absorb the impact of my fall, and when the vine gave well, crashed to the ground. I tugged the vine off while Eli freed Fiona.

"Thanks Eli." Fiona said warmly.

"Anytime." He responded. "So, it's just us three now?"

"Yeah." Fiona replied softly.

"Do you know how Stryder died?" Eli asked.

"Killed by one of the Careers. We destroyed their food, and were hiding in the trees, but Stryder fell. He sacrificed himself to save us." I said.

Eli was silent for a moment. "He'll always be remembered. I guess this is goodbye?"

"Eli, come with us." I urged, but Eli shook his head. "No, I think I'm better off going on my own. I won't be in the winner, and I don't want to slow you two down."

"You won't Eli." Fiona said, but still Eli refused. "Thank you, but no. Frankly, I'd rather be by myself."

We nodded, and embraced each other in a quick hug. "Goodbye Eli." I said.

"Goodbye Gale, Fiona." Eli said, his eyes a bit forlorn. He turned, and disappeared into the trees.

"Where to next?" Fiona asked after a moment, looking over at me.

"I'm not sure. Let's get out of the trees, try the desert for a little while, but stay close enough that we can get here to hunt if necessary."

"Sounds good." Fiona agreed, and grabbing our packs, we started off. It was a couple hour journey, but we eventually began to see to see more rocks than trees, catching some prey along the way. And along with the rocks came the heat.

It bore down on us, and we soon had stripped down to our shorts and t-shirt. The rocks were gritty, rough, and hot as an oven. The sky was perfectly clear, the sun high, and not a speck of shade could be found anywhere. But I didn't really mind. So much had had happened the last few weeks, a little heat seemed a rather minor problem. Fiona glanced over at me.

"You okay Gale?" I sighed.

"No, but who is? Frankly, I'm just tired. Tired of running, tired of fighting to survive, tired of watching people die."

"Tell me about it. I'm almost ready to just stop fighting. I mean, I'm not sure I even want to survive anymore. To live with the nightmares, the memories, it almost seems easier to just to die."

I didn't have a response, and we hiked on in silence for a couple hours. We heard a cannon, and I briefly wondered who had died. One more opponent down, who knew how many to go. Night began to fall, the stars blinking on one by one.

"Gale, we need to find a place to spend the night." Fiona spoke up. I nodded in agreement, and we soon found a small cave. The only problem was, it was the one we had met Eva in. Fiona seemed hesitant, and not at all eager about staying the night here. The cave brought back memories of Eva, memories we didn't really want to think about.

"We don't have a choice Fiona." I said with a sigh, and ducked inside. Fiona slowly followed me, and sat as close to the entrance as possible. The Panem seal flashed on a few minutes later, and the youngest girl's face from District 4 popped up. That meant Eli was the last young one left. We took turns keeping watch, though I didn't get much sleep. My whole body was tired, and ached from numerous wounds. I just wanted to go home to Katniss, and District 12.

The sun streaming into the cave woke me up the next morning. Fiona was packing her stuff up, and the look on her face scared me. She looked so lost, so sad, so _different. _Nothing at all like the spirited young girl she used to be. I supposed, just like Katniss, she had left her old self behind. The Games took everything from you, including who were. You didn't leave the arena the same person you were when you entered it.

"I want to head back to the trees. It's hot, steamy, the terrain's hard to navigate, and there's very little food. I was okay with coming here yesterday, but now, I want to go back." She said.

I shook my head. "I don't. I want to spend a few days here. That's what everyone's probably thinking. I doubt we'll run into anyone. We could be safe for a while." She bit her lip.

"Look, I've been thinking about this ever since Stryder died. There's only 19 tributes left. I think it's time we split up. I don't want it to come down between the two of us."

I slowly nodded. "I suppose you're right." I grabbed my stuff, and we exited the cave. Fiona turned to face me, and stuck out her hand.

"Come on Fiona. We've been with each other for over a month. Forget the formality." I said pulling her into a hug. She hugged me back, then let go after a moment. "Goodbye Gale."

"Goodbye Fiona. If…If I don't get back and you do, tell Katniss to stay strong, and be the girl that I know her to be. And tell her…tell her I'll always love her." She gave a sad smile. "I will Gale. Though I don't think I'll be alive to." Then, she turned, and walked quietly away. I watched her go, before turning, and going in the opposite direction. I never looked back. Little did I know though, Fiona did, and she watched me walk for quite a ways, tears streaming down her cheeks.

**Okay, good news is most of the rest of the story is written. I'm thinking it's going to be around 10 chapters. And the chapters won't be as long. The ending for this one just seemed right. So, all I have to do is edit the next chapter, and I'm done. Should have it posted tomorrow night. I had a lot of extra time today, so I typed like a mad-woman. Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, and please remember to review this chapter! You guys have been great, and thanks so much for reading!**


	7. A Rebellious Act, and A Feast

**You guys got lucky. This chapter was pretty much already written, so all I had to do was edit, and add a couple scenes. Pretty sure the next chapter's written too, so I should have it up this weekend. Enjoy!**

I walked for a couple hours, just thinking. Thinking about Katniss, about my family, about the Games. Since I didn't know the desert area very well, when I saw a large rock formation, I started to climb up, hoping to get my bearings, and figure out the layout of the area. I was half-way when my foot slipped.

With a gasp, I fell backwards, my shoulder catching on the sharp stones. I slammed into the rock below, all the air being forced from my lungs. I laid there for several minutes, trying to breath, trying to think, trying to do something.

When I was finally able to breathe normally, I slowly sat up, wincing as I moved. I could only hope there was no internal damage. If there was, I was as good as dead. My shoulder was bleeding, and I ached all over. I could barely move my wrist, a sure sign that it was badly bruised, if not broken. And I wasn't sure if I could even walk. When I tried, my legs crumpled beneath me. Part of it though was probably the shock. My body was trying to figure out what had happened, and try to compensate for the damage, as well as start fixing the problem.

"Great Hawthorne. Now look what you've done." I muttered. The only thing I could do was stay here a couple days, and hopefully be able to walk by then. But that wasn't the worst of my problems. I had fallen on my bow, and pulling it out from under me, I discovered it had snapped in two. Angrily, I threw the pieces aside, cursing myself for being so clumsy. There was a little overhang in the rock, so I crawled over, and got settled in, hoping no one would walk by.

I spent 2 days under that rock, eating as little as possible to save my food. Thankfully, I saw no one, and by the start of the 3rd day, I could walk again. I was still sore, and my shoulder hurt every time I moved it, but I could manage. My only problem was my bow. I had to have a bow. There was no way I could win without it, since I relied on it for both hunting and fighting. But the only thing I could do was head back to the trees, and hope for the best. I had no idea how to make one, even if I could find the right piece of wood. Katniss had given me one her father had made, and since we had taken good care of the bows, they had never broken.

It was slow going back to the trees. I limped along, gritting my teeth every time I moved a certain way. That fall had taken its toll on me. As I was walking, I heard two cannon shots. If I had had to make a guess, I'd say it was the Careers. They had been without their food supply for a few days now, and were probably feeling the effects of hunger. But I wouldn't know until tonight.

When I finally reached the forest, my whole body aching, and ready to drop, I set a couple snare traps, and took stake in a tree for a while. It was getting late, and I drank what little I had left of my water before buckling myself in. The seal of Panem flashed across the sky, and sure enough, the face of the middle girl from District 1 flashed across the sky. The other one was the middle boy from District 6. Two down, 15 to go.

The next morning, I checked my traps, and was lucky enough to find a squirrel, and rabbit. I would find some way to cook them later. After scavenging for berries, I headed towards the river, my wrist aching painfully. The pain was getting worse, almost to the point that I couldn't even use it. But as I filled up my water container, a silver parachute floated down. Inside was a brace meant for my wrist. I slipped it on, and immiediatly noticed the difference. It provided extra support, so I could continue to use my arm. I glanced up at the sky. "Thanks guys." I murmured. I filled my water containers, yanking my hand back as I brushed up against a particularly hot rock. And then an idea hit me. Pulling out the rabbit and squirrel, I cleaned them, and laid them on the rock. A few minutes later, I had hot and cooked meat.

I stuck most of it in my backpack, and nibbled on part of the squirrel as I walked off. I was just finishing up the squirrel, when I heard a scream. I nearly choked on the piece of meat, and quickly swallowing, I took off, following the sound of the scream.

"Gale!" The voice cried. Fiona. My knife in hand, I ran faster, calling out her name.

"Fiona! I'm coming!" My body protested, but I ignored the pain. And then I spotted her. The oldest boy from 11 was crouched over her, a knife in hand. He was slashing down, his face a mask of hate.

"Your District killed my sister!" He shouted. "She was just a little girl, only 7 years old, and that boy, Eli, killed her! Him and the rest of his District will pay!" Fiona screamed again, and in an instant, I was upon the boy. He turned in surprise, and raised his knife, but I was too fast. I slashed down, ending his life, and a cannon confirmed his death. I shoved him aside, and knelt by Fiona.

"Don't leave." She whispered

"I'm not." I promised. Fiona's life was ending. That much I could see. She had several deep cuts in her chest, and she was lying in a pool of blood. She clutched my hand like a life-line as her breaths got slower and slower.

"You have to win." She gasped.

"I will. I'll win for both of us." I replied softly. She clenched my hand, and her chest rose up one last time. And then she was gone. A cannon sounded. I slowly got up, Fiona's blood on my hands, and removed the items from her pack. I walked back to the river, and washing the blood off, I stared up at the sky for a minute.

Fiona's POV

I spent a few nights just doing some hunting, and was lucky enough not to see anyone. But a couple days later, my luck ran out. I was spearing a rabbit when I heard a sound behind me. I whirled around, raising my spear up. An instant later, it was knocked out of my hand, and I was shoved to the ground, a large boy on top of me. His eyes were blazing, full of hatred and rage. He pinned me to the ground, a knife in his hand. I screamed, and he brought the knife down on my chest.

It went in deep before he yanked it back out again, and I cried out. He did it a second time, and then a third.

"Gale!" I screamed, though I doubted he would come to my rescue. But a moment later, I heard his voice echoing through the trees. I called out again, but by that time, I knew the most Gale could do, would be to kill the boy. My shirt was drenched in blood, and I could feel myself slowly slipping away. Gale burst out from behind a tree, and leapt on top of the boy. A moment later, he was kneeling next to me, worry in his eyes.

"You have to win." I told him.

"I'll win for both of us." He promised, and I gave a small smile. I clenched Gale's hand as a sharp pain wracked my body. Gale's face faded from view as I drew in one last breath, and darkness took me in its grasp.

Katniss' POV

My heart lurched when I saw Gale fall, and soared again when he appeared to be injured, but still alive. It would have helped him to still have Fiona with him, but they had to split up sometime. Haymitch didn't send anything to him, waiting to see if Gale would pull through. And he did. He managed to walk again, and get to the trees, but it was obvious by the way he was holding it, that his wrist was badly injured.

Effie had alerted us when Gale fell that there was someone who wanted to sponsor a gift to help Gale. Haymitch held it, but when he saw Gale continue on, he sent a brace to help Gale's wrist. Gale looked extremely grateful for it, and was walking off when I felt Haymitch tap my shoulder. I glanced up, and saw Fiona had gotten body slammed by a boy from District 11. She screamed, and we watched as Gale went to her rescue. But he was too late. After he killed the boy, he stayed with Fiona while she died, and just like that, we were down to two tributes.

I couldn't even cry anymore. I just sat back, and sighed as Fiona's screen went black. I had known this was coming, but it didn't make it any easier. Fiona had been such a lively girl, so full of life, and now she was gone. I glanced around the room, the noise level having gone down. District after District packed up and left as all their tributes were killed. There were only 8 Districts left, with no District having more than 2 tributes still alive. Sighing again, I glanced back at Gale's screen.

Gale's POV

The rest of the day was spent hunting. I hardly felt a thing. Fiona's death had been the last straw. The last thing I could really handle. I felt numb, felt dead. Nothing seemed to matter. It was the thought of Katniss that brought me out of my stupor. I could imagine her reaction at seeing me like this. She'd slap me upside the head, and tell me to get a hold of myself. So I did. Sort of. I finished up hunting, ate a little, and claimed a tree to spend the night. And suddenly, something inside me just snapped. I just…couldn't keep my rage at what the Capitol forced us to do contained anymore.

Reaching into my backpack, I pulled out an apple, and carved one name into it. Then, taking it arrow, I shoved it in, and tossed the apple behind me. The name on the apple? One every single person knew.

_Snow._

The Head Gamemaker's POV

President Snow came striding rapidly into the room.

"All communication's off with the boy. The mentors can't see what he did either." I said. President Snow gave a nod. "I had a hunch about that boy. See to it Gale Hawthorne doesn't leave the arena alive." He ordered."

"President Snow, look at him. He didn't know what he was doing. He got angry about the girl's death, and lost his temper a little. I think we should let him live. Besides, if he dies, Katniss just very well may decide to go against us."

"So we'll kill her." President Snow replied.

"Kill the Mockingjay? The rebellion may be over, but she's still someone the Districts look up to. We may get a rebellion if we do that. President Snow, we're in a tight spot. Look, we'll just make his life miserable. He'll have to fight like heck to survive what we'll throw at him. And if he dies, no one can say we did it outright." The President thought a moment, and I knew he didn't like his options.

"Very well." He said finally, and walked rapidly from the room.

Gale's POV

When the seal of Panem came on, they showed the faces of the boy I killed, and Fiona. That left 15 of us left. Fifty-seven people had died. I knew the betting had to be getting hot in the Capitol as the number of players got smaller and smaller. My dreams were filled with Fiona, Stryder, Rose, Katniss, so many other people. I slept the whole night, but considering the fact that my dreams were so vivid, I couldn't call it a good night's sleep.

The next day, I was worried. I knew last night's show would cause a stir in the Capitol and I hated myself for doing it.

"Way to go Hawthorne. You just arranged your funeral." I muttered. But somehow, I had a feeling they wouldn't flat-out kill me. If I died, Katniss would be torn apart, and lose control of herself, possibly even spark another Rebellion. No, I was more use to President Snow alive. And sure enough, the Gamemakers started pounding out obstacle after obstacle. Traps, poisoned water, quicksand, you name it, they had it. By the end of the day, I was beyond tired. "Bright move, throwing that apple. You've really done it now." I was furious with myself, but in that moment, I had just been so angry, so livid with the Capitol for doing this to us, that I just lost my head. I tried to sleep that night, knowing the next day would be filled with entertainment for the audience.

And sure enough, I got lucky enough to run into the Careers. Five of them, the oldest ones left, including the one from District 3. District 3 technically wasn't a Career District, but it was often treated like one. I had only one option. Run. I took off, my feet slamming into the ground as I ran for my life. I could hear their voices behind me, but I didn't dare look back. But luck decided to be nice, and come back to me, for when I reached a mound of fallen trees, and ducked under one, it fell, blocking their path. I had apparently jarred it, loosening it from its spot. The Careers still leapt over, but it at least gave me a few extra seconds. And then I ran into another tribute. The oldest girl from District 6, the only one left in her District. She glanced up in surprise, and I shot past her. I heard her scream as she was killed, and a cannon sounded. So long District 6.

I spotted a rather large tree up ahead, and jumped into it just as the Careers appeared. They looked around in confusion, not seeing me. I was so close, so close to take one of them out. None of them looked very light, and I was high up, preventing them from reaching me. I took the opportunity, and sank a knife into a boy's chest. The others instantly looked up, their eyes narrowing. I got ready to defend myself, when suddenly a voice sounded from somewhere behind me.

"Ha! You can't even find me, thinking I'm in a tree! Shows how smart you are!"

Eli. The Careers took off, and I hoped Eli could get away. I didn't want him dying because of me. I already owed so many debts that I would never be able to repay. After a couple minutes passed, I leapt down, glancing at the boy I killed. He was the oldest one from District 2, and if I remembered correctly, that meant there was only one left from that District now.

I set off again, hurrying to put as much distant between me and the Careers as possible. If they caught Eli, they caught him. My being there wouldn't make a difference. Not against 4 Careers. But a cannon never sounded. Maybe Eli had been able to hold his own after all.

That night, I slept in a tree as usual, and the only faces that appeared in the sky were the girl from District 6, and the boy I killed. Eli was a fighter, that one. I was impressed he had managed to hold out this long. I had thought he'd be killed within the first week, but he was going against all odds.

The next day, I heard one cannon, so the Gamemakers were probably making sure the audience was kept entertained. Slowly, but surely, the end of the Games was nearing. And though my afternoon was uneventful, but morning was not. Spiders. Robot ones that could chew through sheet metal. They burst out of a tree, and started crawling toward me. I had never had a fear of insects, but these scared the heck out of me. If you couldn't see them well, you couldn't exactly fight them. I managed to escape them by diving into the river, but not before they got a few bites in, adding to my other long list of injuries. Frankly, I wasn't sure how much I could handle. I had always been strong, but after weeks of fighting danger after danger, you just wanted to give up. To stop fighting. But I couldn't stop fighting. One, because I had a promise to keep, and 2, because that was the cowards way.

As I checked my snare traps, I thought a moment, trying to figure out how long I had been in the arena. I came up with close to about 2 months. Two months. Two months spent living in this nightmare. Two months since I last saw District 12, my family, and Katniss. And suddenly, I wanted to get home more than ever. I would be the last one standing. I would be the one wearing the Victor's crown. I would be keeping my promise, and coming back to Katniss. I may have made President Snow mad, but he couldn't risk arranging some danger to kill me. He may be able to make my life torture, but I would manage. I would fight. I would push on, no matter the personal cost to me. I had to.

I knew Katniss had to be a wreck by now, watching so many die, and watching me struggle to survive. We'd both have healing to do when this was over. I ate some rabbit meat, berries, and the last of my dried fruit when I found a tree to sleep in. The forest had endless amounts of food, if you knew how to find it.

When the seal of Panem came on, the face of the middle girl from District 10 popped up. Only one tribute left from there now.

When I woke up the next morning, my body still ached, still hurt all over, and I was getting so sick of feeling pain. I just wanted it all to end. And today just happened to turn out to be the worst day yet. Today, I discovered what strides President Snow would go to, to break me.

I was washing up at the river, when I heard the crack of branch. I whirled around, prepared for anything but what faced me. Katniss, her body covered in cuts, gashes, and scrapes, her hair scraggly, her eyes hollow, stumbled out. She looked like a walking corpse. My heart stopped. My lungs stopped. Every part of me stopped.

"Kat…niss?" I choked out. She didn't respond, and I caught her as she fell. What was she doing here? Why was she so hurt? Why wasn't she back at in the Games Headquarters? More people stumbled out of the trees. My mother, Rory, Vick, Prim, Haymitch, Posy… I screamed, a loud, guttural sound of fear, desperation, and pain. Katniss looked up at me, and the look on her face made me scream again. I dropped her, and stumbled backwards, splashing into the creek. Her eyes seemed to be staring right through me. It was just…undescribeable. She and everyone else looked like the living dead. They stared, right at me, their gaze hard and focused. It never wavered, never looked away. It was eerie, unsettling, down-right creepy. It wasn't till Peeta appeared that I knew they were mutts. Peeta was dead. There was no way he could possibly be here.

Then, they began to cry out, and scream. And the worst thing was, it sounded so much like their voices. They begged me to help them, to save them, to end their pain. They stumbled towards me, and I screamed a 3rd time. Their hands grabbed me, pulled at me, and I curled up in a ball, wishing it all would end.

"NO! Stop! Stop!" I screamed. I continued to scream, and for several minutes, the mutts clawed at me, red scratches appearing on my face. But finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they pulled back, and I sat there huddled, my voice hoarse from screaming. I couldn't focus, couldn't think. Couldn't do anything but sit there and shake. If a tribute had come along, I would have begged them to kill me. Never, ever, had I seen anything like that in the Games. Even Katniss with the birds wasn't as bad as this. An hour passed. And then another. And another. I sat there for most of the day, and when day began to turn to night, I crawled into a tree, still not eating, or doing anything besides sitting there.

The Gamemakers had finally found what they could use to break me. I felt broken, I felt deader than dead. I felt as if the world would never be right again. I wanted to die, wanted to stop fighting, wanted my pain to end. And then, out of the blue, a silver parachute floated down. I didn't reach for it immideitatly, having no idea what I could possibly use at the moment. But when the seal of Panem flashed across the sky, I slowly opened it, discovering not food or weapons or medicine, but a picture. A picture of Katniss. In it, she was dressed in a light blue, spaghetti strap dress. She wore sandals with it, her hair braided. Her Mockingjay pin was fastened near her heart, the gold accenting the hints of gold in her dress. I remembered the night she had worn it.

Everyone had been depressed and down when they moved back to District 12. Life was strict, harsh, and not a single person smiled or laughed. So the mayor, after he got permission, organized a small dance. Occasionally, the well to do people of District 12 would throw a small party, a small gathering, something to celebrate. The mayor had decided everyone needed a reason to smile again. Not everyone came, but many did, desperate for a reason to really live again. Katniss and I had thought it was silly, having a dance. I mean really? A dance of all things?

The mayor had talked about how life wasn't so bad now. That there was peace in the Districts, that the fighting had stopped. That life was back to normal. Of course, it didn't do a thing to convince Katniss or I, but it had lifted the spirits of everyone. It really had been a moving speech, though I had suspected President Snow had had a hand in it. Our families had attended, deciding we might as well get out of the house for a while. And Katniss had worn that dress. Haymitch had taken a picture of her in it, and she really did look stunning. The soft light had alluminated her face, and her eyes had had a sparkle to them. She had been kind of desperate for a reason to smile too, and for the first time in months, she and everyone else from District 12, smiled, laughed, and really, had a good time.

After that night, District 12 returned to the way it had been before the Rebellion. The dance, the speech, the laughter and smiles had convinced most people that life would go on, that everything would work out, no matter what the Capitol did. The people of District realized that though the Capitol could take our children, could control our lives, they couldn't take away our spirit. They couldn't keep us from smiling or laughing, at least on the inside.

To me, the picture was perfect. It was just what I needed to remind myself why I'm fighting so hard to survive. I rubbed Katniss' Mockingjay pin still attached to my shirt. I had much pretty forgotten I was still wearing it, having gotten so caught up in everything else, though Katniss herself never left my mind. Tears in my eyes, I looked up just as the face of the boy from District 10 flashed across the night sky. There went District 10. There was now 10 of us left. Ten out of the original 72.

"Let the games begin Careers. Let them begin for real." I murmured. But that wasn't really what I was thinking. What I was thinking was, _Let the Games begin President Snow. _I fell asleep, clutching the picture of my girl on fire.

Katniss' POV

I stopped breathing when I saw myself stumble out of the trees. The effect on Gale was instantaneous. He looked shocked, scared. And then more corpses stumbled out. Because that was what they were really. Walking corpses. I gaped at the scream, my heart thudding. Haymitch looked taken aback, and his eyes stay glued to the screen. I'd never seen anything like it in the Games, and I knew it was meant to target Gale's weakness, hurting the people he cared about.

Even the mentors from the other Districts looked shocked as they saw Gale's screen. They looked over at us, some of them looking almost sympathetic. Gale was screaming, making a sound I had never thought he was capable of. And suddenly, I couldn't take it anymore. I bolted out of my chair, and flew from the room. I heard Haymitch's voice behind me, but I ignored him.

I stood, gasping in the hallway, tears in my eyes, struggling to keep myself together. A moment later, Haymitch was beside me, his arms pulling me into a hug.

"I can't take this anymore. I can't!" I whispered.

"You have to sweetheart. Gale needs you to. Come on, let's go see if we come up with something to help him, shall we?" I walked back with Haymitch, the other mentors not smirking, or smiling, but giving me compassionate looks as I walked by.

"Never see anything like it." One said.

"I may not necessarily like District 12, but doing that to him, you can't help but feel sorry for the kid." Another said.

One of the mentors from District 11 who sat near us, looked over at me as I sat down.

"Don't take this the wrong way, I don't want Gale to win." She said. "But he shouldn't have to go through that. Seeing the ones you love most so hurt…that takes an awfully strong person to get through it. He is strong. I've watched him fight, and I can tell he wants nothing more than to get back to you. But he needs to be reminded of that. If I were you, I'd send him something to make him remember why he's fighting." She said.

Haymitch glanced up. "I was thinking of doing just that Ivy." He replied, and I could tell they knew each other pretty well. "What do you want to send him Katniss?"

"I'm not sure. Let me see how he does, and I'll think of something." He nodded, and a few hours later, it hit me. I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it before. "Haymitch, I know the perfect thing!" I gasped, and leapt to my feet. "A picture. A picture of me."

Haymitch smiled. "I think that'll do the trick Katniss." I handed him a picture I had in my pocket, the one I know will be the best. Haymitch arranged for the gift to be sent, and a moment later, a silver parachute floated down.

When Gale opened it, I could tell I had done that right thing. His eyes softened, and tears appeard. He clutched the picture, and now, there was renewed force in his eyes. Yes, I had certainly reminded him of why he needs to go on.

Gale's POV

Half-way through the morning on the next day, Claudius Templesmith appeared, and I knew what was coming.

"Remaining tributes, I invite you all to a feast, to happen tomorrow morning at the Cornucopia in the forest. Before you refuse my offer, let me tell you this. It isn't a normal feast. Each of you need something, and what you need will be at that table. Think about my offer carefully. It could be the difference between winning, and losing." He disappeared, and I pondered his offer. What I need is a bow. Is it worth going? I thought so.

I spent the day hunting, and avoiding the other tributes. I had a plan for tomorrow, a plan that could eliminate yet another opponent. The prey seemed to be strangely absent, and I could easily guess why. The Gamemakers were trying to make my life a living nightmare, but I'd show them I was stronger than anyone expected. The next morning, I set off, eager to get to the Cornucopia. When I reached it, the feast was being set up, and several backpacks were placed on the table. I knew Haymitch and Katniss wouldn't approve of my plan, but I had to get out of this arena. And the only way to do that was to kill everybody else.

The minute the hoverlifts disappeared, I sprinted for the table, and heard footsteps behind me. A knife was in my hand, and I whipped around to greet my opponent while grabbing the backpack with a 12 and a G on it. I wasn't risking someone getting my precious item. The other backpack with a 12 on it, also had an E, Eli's.

I could see the other tributes bursting out from the trees. I was at a disadvantage, working on my own. Except for the District 1 tribute and Eli, everyone else was working with a District partner. A boy loomed up in front of me, a knife in his hand, the District 11 boy. I ducked, and slashed out, but he slipped to the side. Back and forth we went, neither quite getting an edge. He was roughly my size, so I at least had a chance at taking him down. A moment later, my knife slipped past his defenses, and made a sharp cut down his neck. His eyes went wide, and he collapsed, his hands clutching the wound. I seized the District 2 backpack, and took off, hearing an angry shout behind me, the girl from District 2.

I was luring the girl after me, but I'm ready. This was the moment I've been waiting for. To show them that I'm not weak, and that I will be the one standing on that stage after the Games. I could still hear the shouts behind me, and as I glanced back one last time, I caught a glimpse of Eli. He had fallen, a boy from District 4 bent over him. Instantly, I ripped open my backpack, dropped both mine and 2's, seized the bow, and ran towards him.

He saw me, called out my name, and reached towards me. But once again, I was too late. The boy slashed down, and Eli's calls were silenced. He was so determined to keep fighting, to keep going. He made it this far, to the last 10. Him, a small 10-year-old boy exceeding everyone's expectations, and now he was gone. A cannon shot confirmed it. I yanked an arrow out, fit it to the string, and let it fly. It hit District 4 boy in the side. He let out a yell, and fell to his knees. It wasn't a death shot, but he'll be gone by tomorrow.

Other tributes were still fighting, though I had only heard 2 cannons. I saw the girl from District 11 vanish into the trees, and I turned around, seizing District 2's backpack again as I do so. The girl from District 2 was caught up in a fight with the District 3 kids, the alliance apparently having been ended. I darted for the tree line, hoping to get a good head start before she came after me. Once I reached the trees, I ran for a minute, then scrambled up in one. A moment later, the District 2 girl crashed through, yelling my name. I notched an arrow on my bow, aim, and fired. Her eyes went wide as it plunged into her side, but she just yanked it out, and leapt for my tree. I jumped down to meet her, my knife in hand.

She threw one of hers, and it sank into my arm. I winced, but just pulled it out, and faced her. Her eyes were radiating hatred, and I knew she wanted nothing more than for me to die at her hands. But she was going to be disappointed.

The movement was so quick, it was a blur. I snatched an arrow from my sheath, and flung it in her direction. It was thin, and blended in with our surroundings, making it hard to see. She gasped as it sank into her chest, and I strode forward.

"Sorry District 2. Guess you won't have a winner this year." I murmured, and retrieved the two arrows I had thrown. Wiping the blood off on the grass, I glanced back towards the Cornucopia, where the fighting had pretty much ended. As I watched, I saw a hoverlift dip down, and retrieve Eli's body. His black hair glinted in the sunlight as he was pulled up. "Bye Eli." I said softly.

Eli's POV

I stood at the edge of the clearing, watching as the feast was set up. What I needed was medicine. I had a deep gash in my leg, and it was showing signs of infection. Gale suddenly burst from the trees, running as fast as he could towards the table. Another couple tributes quickly followed him, and I knew I had to move. I took off, desperate to get my backpack. Mine was small, and could easily fit in the bag on my shoulders, whereas Gale's was bulky, almost looked like it contained a bow. But he didn't have one on his shoulders, I noticed, so that must have been the item he needed. I grabbed my backpack, and was about to run off, when I was suddenly shoved into the dirt. I coughed as the air was forced from my lungs, and spat dirt out of my mouth.

I was flipped over, and the face of the boy from District 4 greeted me. He grinned.

"Got you." He pulled out a knife, and I let out a yell. I glanced around me, trying to find something to free myself. I made it this far, I could make it a little longer. And then I saw Gale running towards me, his bow in hand.

"Gale!" I called, reaching out towards him. Worry filled his eyes, and he tried to get to me in time. But he was just a few short seconds too late. The boy, seeing he was about to lose his chance, shoved the knife into my chest to end the job. I gasped, and coughed out blood. He got off of me, but then fell to his knees as an arrow entered his side. Gale's arrow.

I looked over at him, and he was about to run towards me, but I gave just the slightest shake of my head. I was a goner. Gale was now the last one from District 12. He had to win. For all of us. He gave me a sad look, then grabbed District 2's backpack, and sprinted for the trees.

"Go Gale. Win this thing." I whispered, then slowly closed my eyes.

Katniss' POV

"You idiot!" I snapped, seeing Gale grab District 2's backpack. "Now you're going to lure them after you!" Haymitch only sighed. Gale had already killed a boy from District 11, and now he was going to have to kill the girl from District 2 as well. I switched my gaze to Eli, seeing him grab his backpack, then get caught by District 4. Gale started running towards him, but he was too late.

A tear slipped down my cheek as I watched Eli slowly slip away.

"He was a survivor, someone who never gave up. We didn't even expect him to last the first week, and he lasted 2 months. He was the last one from his age group." I said to Haymitch.

"He'll be missed." Was all Haymitch said. Haymitch is quiet, withdrawn. Now, Gale was the only one still living from our District. Everyone else was gone. Rose, Stryder, Terra, Fiona, and now Eli.

I looked back at Gale, and saw him battle with the girl from District 2.

"Come on Gale. Beat her." I urged, not daring to look away. And finally, he did. I heard a sigh from the District 2 mentors as their last tribute was killed. They slowly got up, and left the room. As I looked back at the screen, I only had one word left for Gale.

"Go."

Gale's POV

I glanced in the girl's backpack she got from the feast, and found a wicked looking set of knives. I had no need for them, so I slipped them on the girl's shoulders. They'd be removed with her body, so no one else could get a hold of them. I decided to stay in a tree for a while, since the other tributes would be undoubetldy combing the woods for others. At least the Careers would be.

I spent the rest of the day doing some foraging, and sitting in a tree. My body had started hurting again from the running I did, and the cut on my shoulder was rather nasty looking. I bandaged it up, and washed it off, but I couldn't do much more than that. When night fell, and the nocturnal animals came out to play, I kept a close eye out for the Panem seal. I wanted to make sure that only 3 had died today.

I spotted it through the branches, the face of the girl and boy I killed, as well as Eli were the only ones to appear. I had killed 2/3 tributes who had died. I wasn't exactly pleased with those numbers. I knew I had to kill people, but I didn't want people to think I was some mindless killing machine. I wanted everyone to know that I was still me. I may have been a piece in their Games, but the Capitol couldn't turn me into someone I wasn't. Or could they? They had seemed to with Katniss.

Sighing, I buckled myself in, and slipped off to sleep. The next few days were sure to be exciting. At least for the audience.

I was woken up by the sound of voices.

"Where is he? Where is that District 12 ****?" Someone hissed nearby. I silently pulled out by bow, and tried to catch a glimpse of who it was.

"He's killed several of us, including Astrid yesterday." The same voice said.

"Oh come on. It's not as if you liked her. You were the one who was about to tear her throat out."

"Exactly! She was my kill! Mine!"

"Oh calm down Zip. Honestly, just be patient. You'll get your chance."

"Will I?"

"You will." It's the District 4 pair. I could catch glimpse of them as they neared my tree. The boy was limping, a result of me hitting him with the arrow. Apparently it hadn't been as deep as I thought.

"I can't let him win."

"He won't! Calm down already Zip! You're acting like a maniac!"

"Oh am I?"

"Yes you are. You know what, that's it. I'm done. See ya around Zip. Wait, it's the Hunger Games. Guess I won't." Zip turned to face her District partner.

"You're in the way. And besides, you're injured. You'll never survive with that side injury."

"Walk around me. And yes I will."

"No, I mean you're in the way of my winning. If you will, then I guess I'll just finish this now. Time's up Wales." Zip slashed out, startling Wales, but he soon recovered and pushed back just as fiercely.

"I'm ending this Zip. Now." He slashed down and she ducked.

"No, I'm ending it." I announced, letting an arrow fly. It hit Zip in the chest, and my knife soon forced Wales to the ground. The shock on their faces was almost hysterical. They would never have guessed I was in the tree right above them. A cannon fired, announcing Zip's death. Wales though, fought back, despite another long cut on his side. But he was weakened, and I quickly gained an edge.

"You kill Eli." I whispered, my words angry and forced. I slashed down, and he gasped.

"Sorry Wales. Your time is up." I ended his life, and a cannon fired. There went District 4's chance at having a Victor.

The rest of the day, I hunted, and roamed the forest, ready for anything. I felt strong, I felt powerful. I felt like I could take anything on. But I was careful not to get too cocky. That could mean my death.

That night, the two tributes from District 4 appeared in the sky. There were only 5 of us left. I was so close to going home I could almost taste it. "I'm on my way Katniss. I'm on my way." I murmured, fingering her Mockingjay pin.

**I know. Very disturbing scene. Don't ask how I came up with it, cuz I have no idea. So, good, bad, somewhere in between? Make sure to review, and thanks so much to everyone who has! **


	8. The End of the Games

**And...the grand finale! Enjoy!**

The next day, when I reached the river, I discovered it dry. I was in my usual area, and I knew the river had been full of water just a couple days go. They were pushing us towards the Cornucopia in the forest. The Games always ended with a bloody fight, and this year would be no different.

So I gave the Gamemakers what they wanted. I headed back towards the Cornucopia. But the Games weren't done quite yet. As I reached the edge of the trees, I heard the whizz of a knife, and instinctively ducked. A knife flew over my head, and boy stepped out from behind the trees.

"Ready to die, District 12 boy?"

"Sure, but it'll be after you!" I hissed, raising my bow. The boy only laughed, and I saw a sinister looking sword in his hand, most likely his gift from the feast. He stepped closer, and that's when I let an arrow fly. He ducked, and charged towards me.

I leapt to the side, barely avoiding a razor sharp blade. He whipped around, and charged once more. He was big, beefy looking, and definitely had physical strength on his side. He barraled towards me, and once again, I leapt out of the way. Instantly, I flung an arrow at him, having no time to reload. It struck him in the back, and he went down. He had to of turned around to face me again after charging, and I was quick enough to stop him. A cannon fired, and shortly after that, another one fired. Two down, 2 more to go. Night fell, and this time, the moon was strangely absent, dark looking clouds covering the sky. I knew that by this time tomorrow, I'd either be in a coffin headed back to District 12, or in a hospital bed in the Capitol. I desperately hoped it would be the latter.

I didn't get much sleep that night, for fear about what was to come the next day. It was guaranteed to be a gory battle, and I had to be prepared for anything.

The night sky revealed that District 11 was out, and the boy I killed from District 3. That meant I'd be facing a tribute from Districts 1 and 3. Pretty much what I had expected. The next morning, I ate all the meat and berries I had left. My next meal either wouldn't happen, or would be in the Capitol. I got down from my tree, and walked into the large open field, the Cornucopia sitting in the middle. Off to my left was the girl from District 3, Tally, and ahead of me was the boy from District 1, Forge. This was going to be some battle. I had knives ready, as well as an arrow notched, and ready to fly. We came to stand equal distance around the Cornucopia, no one moving a muscle for a moment. All of Panem was holding its breath, waiting to see who would be crowned the Victor. This was it. Everything led up to this moment. I had to win. I had to leave this arena alive. I had to return to Katniss.

Katniss' POV

I held my breath as the three lined up in the field, ready for the final battle. "You can do this Gale. Fight like you've never fought before." I whispered, clenching the armrests of my chair.

District 12

Most of the citizens were gathered in the plaza, watching from the big screen. Gale's family, along with Prim and Katniss' mother, sat near the front, all holding their breath. District 12 eagerly waited, eagerly watched, hoping with all their might that the boy most everyone knew would come home.

Gale's POV

And then…we burst into action, running straight for each other. I hardly knew what I was doing as I slashed, hacked, ducked, and dodged blow after blow. Blood was flying, spewing down my arm, but I didn't notice. I didn't notice a thing except for the 2 people in front of me. An hour passed, and then an another; all of us cut up and bloody, but still standing. And then….Forge, got past the defenses of Tally. She let out a scream, and collapsed. A cannon soon fired. Forge turned to me, his eyes narrowed and determined. But then the Gamemakers stepped in.

A large beast rose up in front of us. Its fur was black as night, his eyes a glowing blood red. It had razor sharp teeth, and deadly looking claws. The fight wouldn't be just between me and Forge. Not this time. I felt like I could hardly stand, but then I felt Katniss' picture in my pocket. I had to win this. For her, and for the other District 12 tributes who would never return.

The beast lunged for us, and we leapt to the side. For an hour, we dodged, and fought, fighting the beast more than we fought each other. And then it took another turn. A figure appeared next to the beast. Katniss. She was hurt, crying, bleeding.

"Katniss!" I cried. I heard Forge yell someone's name, and knew he had seen someone else. I reached for her, and Katniss ran to me. But then, she faded away, and I found myself facing the beast. I barely got out of the way in time, and then it was doing the same thing to Forge. It started up again, both of us fighting desperately, but now having to ignore the faces of the people we so dearly loved crying out to us. It wasn't as bad as the corpses, but at least then, I wasn't having to fight at the same time. And then I slipped on a pool of blood. Down I went, the beast surging forward to take advantage of it. The claw slid down my side, and a scream broke free from my throat.

But I wasn't giving up. Not yet. Pulling out a knife, I stabbed, hacked, and sliced, freeing myself from the beast's claws. The wound was bleeding, and stung, but I ignored it, and grabbed my bow again. "I'm coming back Katniss." I murmured, and threw myself into battle once more.

The sun was high in the sky, us having fought well into the afternoon. I was completely drained off all my energy, and it was pure adrenaline that was keeping me going now. But then, the beast slowly faded away, and the shaking started. The ground was moving beneath our feet, and I flew through the air, landing hard on the ground. Forge landed near me. Chunks of dirt were caving in, and jumping to my feet, I ran faster than I ever had towards the Cornucopia. Unfortunately, Forge had the same idea. We leapt up, and stared at each other for a moment.

"Great." I muttered. I glanced around, and my jaw hit the ground. A bit of the grassy area had completely fallen away, and placed sporadically around the field were small platforms. But what was under it surprised me the most. A river of lava flowed, and occasionally, a bubble would burst, sending spurts of it soaring into the air. The heat caused the metal on the Cornucopia to heat up, and soon, Forge and I had no choice but to let go.

Occasionally, the platforms would drop down into the lava, instantly killing anyone who happened to be on it. I started jumping from platform to platform, rushing to get off any that started to shake beneath my feet, a sign it was about to drop. The heat was intense, and I was tempted to take my jacket off, but if any lava hit me, it would provide just a little protection. The platforms started going faster, and faster, and Forge and I had to move even quicker. But…my foot slipped. Again. With a yell, I slipped off the side, just barely managing to grab onto the edge of it. I dangled above the lava, and of course, the platform I was holding onto started to shake. I swung towards another platform, but came up just a couple inches too short. With a cry, I started to fall, my hands closing on air.

Suddenly though, I was jerked to a stop, something gripping my wrist. I looked up, and there was Forge, keeping me from falling.

"Wanted to have the honors, huh?" I spat, figuring he was about to let me go.

"Oh please. District 1 isn't as stuck-up as everyone thinks it is." He pulled me up to the platform, holding my wrist until I got my balance back. I stared in shock at him. Had Forge just saved my life?

"Why?" I asked, still stunned as I jumped to another platform, Forge following me.

"Because I'm not just a piece in their Games. Maybe I'm trying to make a stand, prove something to the Capitol, I don't know. Besides, you've got Katniss and your family. Me, I don't have anybody that will miss me. My dad hates me, and my mom's always at some party or social gathering. And I don't have any friends who truly care. Oh, they'll say they miss me, but they won't really. You've got more waiting for you."

"You're saying…that I should win?"

"Yeah. You win this thing Gale. Go teach the Capitol a thing or two."

"I…I don't know what to say."

"Don't say a thing. Just focus on surviving. I'm not going to just stop fighting, and let you win. I've gotta save whatever dignity I've got left." Forge jumped to another platform, and we stopped talking.

Lava started spurting up even higher, and I got a good glob on my leg. I cursed under my breath, and tried to ignoring the searing pain. An angry red blister formed, but I couldn't do anything about it now. The heat was getting even more intense, and then all the platforms started to shake, erasing any way to tell when one would drop. I knew a Gamemaker had to be sitting somewhere, his fingers pressing the keys that could end either Forge's or my life. I started just jumping from platform to platform, never stopping, never slowing. An hour passed, and my whole body ached from exhaustion and injuries.

But finally, when the sun was just beginning to set, it ended. The platform Forge was on gave way. He screamed as he fell to his death, right into the lava. A moment later, his body reappeared, and it was a rather gruesome sight. A cannon sounded, and Forge's body was collected.

I had won. I had done it. I was going home, and I owed it to Forge. "I'm on my way Katniss." I whispered. For a minute, everything was still. And then…

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you this year's Hunger Games Winner, Gale Hawthorne!" Claudius Templesmith announced. I could hear the roar of the Capitol as the feed was broadcasted live over the arena. I looked back around, the memories flashing across my mind. Seventy-one people would not be returning home. Seventy-one lives were lost. It hardly seemed possible. But it was. Those people would never come back.

A hoverlift appeared, a ladder dropping down. I looked back one last time, the faces of all the tributes flashing across my mind. Then, I grabbed the rung of the ladder, and was lifted upwards.

Katniss' POV

I'm not sure I breathed the whole time I watched Gale fight. I just kept silently urging him on, urging him to win. The room was completely silent, only three districts being left, and everyone was paying close attention to the fight. Back and forth, back and forth they went, till Tally was finally killed. The District 3 mentors sighed, got up, and left. Now, it was just down to Gale and Forge.

And then the beast appeared. My eyes widened, and my heart pounded even louder as Gale faced the beast. But of course, that wasn't all. I had to appear, a mutt version of myself. And someone appeared in front of Forge too. Now, Gale didn't only have to fight the beast, he had to try and ignore the faces and cries of those he cared about. His scream when the beast's claw cut him sliced right through me. I was struggling to keep back tears, struggling to maintain control of my emotions. "Please Gale. Please come back."

I watched in shock as the shaking started, and the river of lava appeared. Gale started hopping from platform to platform, but then he slipped off the side.

"No!" I said, digging my fingers even harder into the armrest of the chair. But…Forge saved him. Stopped him from falling. They said a couple things, but nothing else. Glancing up, I could see the District 1 mentors were shocked at what Forge had done. I looked over at Haymitch, but he just shrugged. An hour passed with Gale and Forge jumping constantly. And then, Forge finally fell, landed in the river of lava, and Gale was declared the winner. I was a little saddened by Forge's death, though I knew it was necessary. He had saved Gale's life after all. But yet, it was finally over. Gale had won.

"Yes!" I cried, leaping to my feet. "He's coming home!" District 1 shook their head, and left the room. People were cheering, and Haymitch slapped me on the back. "He did it sweetheart. Gale is on his way."

**So...like the ending? I'll post the epilogue in a day or two. And make sure to review!**


	9. Epilogue

**The last and final chapter, the Epilogue. Enjoy!**

The minute the current let me go, I collapsed, but was caught by several people in white coats, most likely doctors. I was laid on a stretcher, an IV stuck in my arm, while they hurried around me. The instant we landed, I was whisked off, and rushed to the hospital. I could hear shouts and orders as they began to put my wreck of a body back together.

I was in a white room, getting hooked up to all sorts of machines. But I was hardly aware of it. Sleep dragged me down, and everything faded to darkness…

Bright light greeted me when I slowly opened my eyes. I was in a hospital room, and sitting next to my bed was Haymitch. He was fast asleep, and snoring.

I chuckled a little. "Hey Haymitch." His eyes flew open.

"Well, well. Sleeping beauty awakes. Ya did it kid. Managed to stay alive."

"Yeah, I did it. Where's Katniss?"

"She's not allowed to see you. They want to do your reunion on camera."

"When will that be?"

"In another couple days. You've been asleep for 3. The will be the day after tomorrow."

"I've been asleep for three days?"

"You were exhausted kid. Body needed the rest."

"So Katniss is sweetheart, and I'm kid?"

Haymitch guawffed. "Get some sleep kid." I nodded, and Haymitch left the room. Sleep dragged me under, and before I knew it, I was back in dreamland. I spent the rest of the day, and the next resting up, and eating. And on my fifth day of being in the hospital, I was released to my stylist to be readied for tonight's show.

My prep team was estatic that I had won, and were even more bubbly than usual. But for once, I didn't mind. I was going to see Katniss, and the thought sent my heart soaring.

My scars and blemishes were erased, my skin returned to a brilliant glow. My hair was a mess, but Yavonne managed to brush through the tangles, and make it soft and smooth once more. Finally, Seria entered. She just stood and smiled at me for a moment.

"So you managed to do it. Congratulations Gale."

"Thanks Seria. Now, what's my outfit for tonight?"

"Something stunning." She helped me into the outfit, making sure I closed my eyes first. When I opened them, all I could do was stare. I had on black pants, with a black shirt. But the jacket….It was covered in swirling fire patterns, all glowing and lit up. The light almost made my face glow a little too.

"Seria, it's…beyond amazing."

"I thought it was perfect. Just the thing you need tonight."

"Thanks Seria. For everything." I reached out, and gave her a hug. She seemed pleasantly surprised.

"Well, you've very welcome Gale."

Haymitch arrived to take me to the stage, and we rode the elevator back up to the ground floor.

"Nervous?" Haymitch asked as the elevator raced upwards.

"Not really. Well, I guess a little. About seeing Katniss anyway. She doing okay?"

"She's hanging in there." The elevator doors opened, and when I reached the stage, the crowd went wild. But I hardly heard it. There, sitting near Caesar, was Katniss. She was dressed in a light yellow stylish dress, a soft smile on her face. Her eyes lit up when she saw me, and then, I couldn't hold myself back. I ran forward, picked her up, and twirled her around. The crowd let out an _aww…., _and started cheering. Caesar seemed at a loss for words as he watched the happy reunion.

I held Katniss close, her hair tickling my neck.

"You did it Gale." She whispered.

"I know. I always keep my promises, remember?" I gave her a quick kiss, and then we had to break away to start the ceremony. She slipped over to the side of the stage to sit with Haymitch and Effie. I took a seat in the plush red throne, meant for the Victor.

"So Gale. You won. Kept your promise to Katniss." Caesar began.

"I told you I would Caesar. Of course, it wasn't easy, having to beat 71 other tributes, but I pulled it off."

"Well, she's quite a young lady. The Games aren't exactly easy to win. What kept you going the whole time? Surely there were points when winning seemed impossible?"

"This." I held up the picture of Katniss in the blue dress. The cameras zoomed in on it. "She sent it to me later in the Games. She wore this at a dance a few months ago, back in District 12. This was a constant reminder of what, or rather, who, I had waiting for me." Both the crowd and Caesar seemed speechless.

"That's a very touching story Gale. Now I wish we had time for more questions, but they'll just have to wait for the interview tomorrow. It's time for the recap of the 76th Hunger Games!"

"Caesar, wait a minute. Would it be possible to have Katniss sit with me?"

Caesar thought a moment. "Well, I don't see why not. You've been apart for 2 months, so I'm sure you're eager to spend some time together." I smiled.

"Thanks Caesar." Katniss hopped up, and hurried over. She curled up on my lap, resting her head on my shoulder. The lights dimmed, and the movie began. Each year, they had to choose a story to tell. Some years it was a story of bravery or survival, others it was just a simple recap of the main events, but this year, they told a story of a boy fighting to return home to his lover. They emphasized the parts where I was thinking of Katniss, where I was calling out her name, where I was clutching the picture. They showed the parts where I was strongest, fighting desperately to win. They showed all the tributes deaths, and I finally learned how Rose and Terra died. I noticed they did edit out the part where Forge saved me. And at the end, they zoomed up on my face right after I had won, where I whispered, _I'm on my way Katniss. _ The show was a bit long this year, because the Games had much longer. President Snow arrived, the Victor's crown in his hand. He placed it on my head, his eyes lingering on me a moment before he disappeared back into his mansion.

Afterwards, the crowd was estatic as Katniss and I exited the stage. Haymitch clapped me on the back, Seria congratulated me, Effie beamed, and Katniss just gave me a hug. We were escorted to the President's mansion for the Victory feast, a night full of eating and celebrating.

When we finally got back to the Training Center, I wandered into Stryder and Eli's room. Their presence still lingered, and I heard footsteps behind me.

"It's hard, isn't it?" Katniss said softly.

"They're never coming back. They're gone, for good. It's just so hard to believe."

"Trust me, I know. I watched all of them die. They were amazing people, and they'll never be forgotten." She took my hand, and led me quietly from the room. I paused at the girls' room, but Katniss pulled me along, and took me into our room. We both changed into pajamas, and curled up on the bed.

The morning we said goodbye flashed through my mind. Katniss had been crying as she hugged me one last time. It seemed like a life-time ago.

"Katniss, do you still love me?" I asked. Her head jerked up.

"What kind of question is that?"

"I mean, I've changed. Maybe I'm not the person you fell in love with."

"You've changed, but you're still the Gale I know. And you always will be." She snuggled up to me, and we both drifted off to sleep.

The nightmares started that night. This one, the huge beast was back, looking scarier than ever. Forge was nowhere to be seen, and I was running, trying to get away. But the beast leapt on top of me, and just before the world went black, I spotted Katniss, injured and bloody.

I woke up screaming. But suddenly, Katniss was there, reassuring me everything was okay, that it was all over. I was drenched in sweat, my heart pounding. Katniss looked at me worriedly, and I half-smiled.

"Never thought the roles would be reversed." I commented. She just shook her head.

"You want to talk about it?"

"No." I pulled her to me, clutching her as though someone might snatch her away from me. I didn't get back to sleep that night, and neither did she. We just snuggled together until the early morning light peeked in through the window.

Soon, Effie was calling our names, saying we had to get ready for a big, big, big day! I slowly got out of bed, got a quick shower, and Katniss and I headed down to breakfast. Today was my interview with Caesar, and would spend the morning being prepped by my prep team, and Seria.

So, after a light breakfast, I headed down to the Remake Center. The Training Center seemed way too quiet now, District 12 being the only ones staying here. As I passed each level, faces flashed through my mind. The girl from 10, Eva from 9, the boy from 4, Tally from 3, Forge from 1. None of them were ever returning. When I reached the level, my prep team was waiting, and after another long morning, and a quick lunch, Seria brought in my outfit. I couldn't imagine what it would be. She had already come up with so many amazing ideas.

Today, it wasn't quite as fancy, though still looked just as stunning. I was dressed in a suit of black and red, and I had to admit, Seria had made me look quite striking in it.

"Amazing as usual Seria."

"Like it?"

"Love it." She smiled, and then my escort arrived to take me to the interview room. There was no audience this time, just Caesar, the camera crew, and Haymitch. As I took a seat on the couch, Caesar began.

"Good afternoon citizens of Panem! With me, I have this year's Hunger Games Victor, ready to answer a few questions I'm sure we're all curious about. Gale, let's start with the first day. What was your strategy at the Cornucopia?"

"Get a backpack, bow, and get out. I didn't want to get injured on the first day."

"Ah, so when Fiona showed up, why did you form an alliance with her?"

"Because she was strong, and capable. I had nothing to lose, and plenty to gain."

"Surely it wasn't that way with Eva?" I got quiet for a moment.

"She seemed like a wonderful girl. She was smart, fast, and she didn't have a single item with her. She would never have survived. So Fiona and I let her come with us."

"Yes, well, tell us about some of the dangers you faced. You know, the snakes, the red flowers, the bees, fighting the other tributes."

"Oh, they were hard to face, but I managed. The tributes, well, the first time I fought with them was a few days after the start of the Games, at the Cornucopia. District 1-4 tributes always seem to be good at fighting, but these seemed to be a bit lazy. Not too much of a challenge. The snakes, the flowers, the well, they were obstacles, but nothing Fiona and I couldn't handle, with a little bit of work."

"Watching Eva die, that couldn't have been easy."

"It wasn't, but she had to go sometime."

"Why did you kill her? You did have an alliance with her."

"The poison was already in her bloodstream. She was a goner. I just ended her pain, so she didn't have to suffer."

"Now, the Games are something only a few people face, and even few live to tell about it. What is it like really?"

"It's hard Caesar. You always have to be on alert, always have to be ready for anything. Killing people, well, it takes everything from you. Necessary of course, but still hard. Watching people die, getting hurt, being scared, it can make you do things."

"What sort of things?" Caesar eyed me, though he was careful not to let the cameras see.

"Things that you later regret. Things the Capitol may not necessarily like. But at times, you just lose your head. It gets to be so hard, so difficult, that something in you just snaps, and you wind up doing something you wish you hadn't."

"Moving on, you already said Katniss was what kept you going, was there anything else that helped?"

"My family. I wanted to get back to them, and didn't want them to have to watch me die a brutal death."

"Yes, family is important. Now, let's touch upon one of the harder times in the Games. The corpses of the people you saw, what was that like?"

"You don't want to know Caesar. For a moment, you're consumed with panic because you think it's really them, but then you realize it's only mutts. Though that realization doesn't help a bit when the screaming and crying starts. It's awful, no, it's nearly unbearable, and the only thing that keeps you going is knowing that it's not actually them."

"Do you think it goes too far? That it was too brutal for the Games?"

"It's the Hunger Games Caesar. There isn't a line you're not supposed to cross. It's a fight to the death, not some tea party. It's going to be hard."

"You and Fiona were alliance for quite a while, yet, even after you broke it off, you still went to her rescue. Why?"

"Because I still cared about her. At the very least, I wanted to end her suffering, and kill the guy who was responsible."

"Burning the Careers food, that was quite a smart move I must say. But afterwards, when Stryder was getting hurt, you didn't go to his rescue."

His question rubbed me the wrong way. "I couldn't! He would have hated me for giving away my position. He knew he was going to die, and he didn't want me to go with him!"

"Alright, alright. There clearly were some tough times for you in the Games, but I think the one that touches me and the rest of Panem the most is when you got that picture of Katniss. What were your thoughts then?"

"I knew why Katniss had sent it. She was reminding me of why I needed to keep fighting, to keep going. And I knew in that moment, that I was going to win. That I was going to get back to her, and my family. I was going to be the last one standing."

"Now, what was your strategy for winning?

"Outsmarting everyone else. It doesn't just take strength to win, it takes the smarts. Being all brawn and no brains will get you nowhere."

"So, the last battle, that was quite a thriller. First the beast, and then the lava. What was that like?"

"Well, the beast was terrifying, but the lava, that was something. I just kept jumping around, hoping that I wouldn't fall.

"Being the last one standing, that must be a pretty good feeling."

"It's an amazing feeling Caesar. To look around you, and realize you're the last one left. To realize that it's over, that you're going home. That you're going to live. There's only one feeling stronger."

"And what feeling is that?"

"This is going to sound cheesy, but the feeling of love."

Caesar laughed. "Well, you've certainly shown everyone that Katniss means a lot to you. What are your plans for the future?"

"Go home. Make a new life in District 12. And who knows, maybe Katniss and I will eventually have some bigger plans in a couple years."

"I think everyone in the Capitol certainly hopes so. Who knows? Maybe Katniss will get her dream wedding after all."

I gave a short laugh. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves Caesar."

He chuckled. "And, I'm afraid we're out of time Gale. So that wraps things up for today! Gale, we'll see you back here in a couple months for the Victory Tour, and then eventually back here for the Hunger Games!"

I waved to the cameras, and then it was done. I shook Caesar's hand, and left the room, Haymitch waiting to take me back to the Training Center.

"How did I do?" I asked.

"Not bad. Not bad at all." Haymitch replied. Katniss and Effie were there to greet me when I got back.

"Splendid! Just splendid!" Effie declared.

"Pretty good Hawthorne." Katniss said with a smile.

"Thanks Everdeen." After a big dinner, Katniss led me up to the rooftop garden. I thought she just wanted to spend the evening relaxing, but no, she had other plans in mind. She turned to me, her eyes accusing.

"What were you thinking Gale?" She said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"When you carved Snow's name into the apple, what the heck were you thinking? That's the kind of thing that will get you killed!"

"Katniss…"

"I didn't bring it up last night because I just wanted to spend time with you. President Snow already has it in for you. You getting into the Hunger Games wasn't by accident."

"What?"

"I confronted Effie. She admitted she had orders to announce your name, no matter what slip she pulled from the jar. Now, you've just made President Snow even more mad."

"I know, I know. But I tried to ward it off. I should be fine."

"President Snow is as cunning as he is ruthless. You can convince the citizens with those words, not the President. It takes more than good acting to convince him. I can't believe you would do such a thing. Haymitch doesn't know. I got a quick glimpse before your screen blinked, and they played a clip from a seconds before while you did it." She turned and stalked towards the stairs.

"Katniss, wait!" She held up her hand, and didn't turn around.

"This was why I was worried about you. You're too rash, you don't think about your actions. This was why I started to choose Peeta." Her words brought me up short, and she disappeared down the stairs.

Great. Now Katniss wouldn't speak to me, and frankly, her words hurt. With a sigh, I ran downstairs to my room, not surprised to discover Katniss wasn't there. I couldn't lose her. I had once, and it couldn't happen again. But yet, I was on the verge of losing my girl on fire for good. Not even bothering to shower, I threw on some sweats, and a t-shirt, and crawled into bed. I slipped off to sleep, and soon, a nightmare filled my head.

I was in the Games, and the bodies of the other District 12 tributes lay around me. They had been killed by a knife. My knife. I was covered in blood, my knife dripping with it. Horror filled me as I realized what I had done. And I knew I wouldn't be able to face District 12, knowing I had killed them. A scream erupted from my mouth, and then I saw Katniss' body. I had killed her too.

"I'm sorry Katniss! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!" I cried as I slit my throat.

I woke up screaming those words. Katniss was beside me, panic in her eyes.

"You wouldn't wake up. I shook you, but…but you wouldn't wake up!" She blubbered, and I quickly pulled her into my arms.

"Please, don't leave me. I'm so sorry Katniss. I know what I did was stupid, and I'm so, so sorry."

"Shh. I acted out of haste. I shouldn't have said what I did. I'm still mad at you for it, but I'll stick by you, no matter what."

"I can't tell you how much it means to hear you say those words." I whispered. She crawled under the covers, and rested her head on my shoulder. We eventually fell asleep, wrapped up in each other's arms.

The next morning, we got ready to leave and go home. Effie rushed about, hurrying to keep us on schedule. We had quick breakfast, got dressed and said goodbye to my prep team and Seria.

"I'll be seeing you in a few months at during the Victory Tour. So, goodbye till then?" Seria said.

"Yes, goodbye till then." I hugged her goodbye, then got crushed as my prep team hugged me and said goodbye.

We rode in a limosine with blacked out windows through the city, crowds of people waving and cheering goodbye as we drove past. I stared out the window, Katniss glancing over at me.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I can just hardly believe it's all over. I mean, I spent 2 ½ months in that arena, and I finally get to go home." She smiled.

"I know what you mean. I can hardly believe it either." Effie said goodbye at the train station.

"Normally I would accompany you home, but I've got a few urgent meetings here. I suppose I'll be seeing you 3 again in a few months. And actually, I've been promoted to District 7. Not a huge jump, but it's something."

"That's great Effie!" Katniss exclaimed. "But we'll miss you." Effie gave a faint smile.

"I turned them down. I suppose I've gotten rather attached to you three. Perhaps District 12 isn't such a bad District to be with." She hugged us all goodbye, then hurried off. We stood there, a little surprised, and touched by what she said. We got on the train, and Katniss and I sat in the window, waving to the crowds of people, and slowly watching the Capitol fade from sight. Soon, we were racing past District, after District, people gathered to watch us go by.

I was going to get to see District 12 again. I would get to see Mom, and the kids, Greasy Sae, Prim. It seemed too good to be true. I put an arm around Katniss.

"Ready to be going back?" She nodded.

"It'll be good to be home again. So I guess this is what our life will be like now. Going to the Capitol once or twice a year. Training the tributes, watching them die."

"Hey, it's okay." I said, pulling her closer. She snuggled against me, and we sat like that for most of the train ride, only getting up for a light lunch. Haymitch sat in the same car as us, staring out at the window as the train rushed onward. And finally, we neared District 12.

"Ready?" Katniss asked, taking my hand as the train came to a stop.

"Yeah." I said slowly. The doors opened, and we stepped out to greet the cheering crowds.

Cameras were everywhere, and I spotted mine and Katniss' family standing near the front. The mayor was waiting, and shook my hand as I stepped up onto the stage.

"Gale, you've made District 12 very proud. You've given us another Victor, and shown that District 12 isn't the weak little district everyone thinks it is. For that, we thank you." The crowd cheered again, and then Mom and the kids ran up the steps to the stage. I hugged Mom tightly, a couple happy tears slipping down her face. I bent down, and picked up Posy, while Rory and Vick hugged me around me legs. I didn't have time to greet anyone else for I was whisked off to the Justice Building where the feast would be held.

Haymitch, Katniss, my family, the mayor, and the Peacekeepers attended. Camera crew hurried around, filming the entire event. Afterwards, we were taken to our new home in the Victor Village. The kids were so excited, and I just couldn't help but smile as I watched them explore our new house. But somehow, I couldn't squelch the feeling that something was coming, something about my little act in the Games…

A couple weeks passed, and finally, everyone from the Capitol packed up and left. All that time, I was filmed constantly, and didn't get a spare moment to myself. But the minute they all were gone, I left for the woods. It had been over 3 months since I had gone there, and I was eager for the quietness and peacefulness of it. My bow in hand, I ducked under the fence, and walked to our rock. Katniss was already there waiting, and she smiled as she spotted me.

"It's been too long since we were last here." She commented.

"It's been way too long. Come on, you up for some hunting?"

"Of course." She replied. The day was the best I had had in months. We didn't say anything, just silently hunted, watching each other's back. A few days passed, with us just hunting, and spreading the food around District 12. Mom and the kids were living in our new house, but Katniss and I often spent the night together. And with the gifts and parcels from the Capitol, District 12 was looking better than ever.

A few days later, I received a surprise visitor. Mom and the kids were at Katniss' house, and Katniss was working in the bakery. I walked into the living room, and found President Snow sitting in a chair. I stopped dead in my tracks, shocked to find him here.

"President Snow. What a surprise. May I ask why you're here?" I asked, once I had gotten my voice back. I set my bag down, suddenly grateful I hadn't been hunting.

"Yes, you may. You see, I have a problem Gale. A problem that started with your little rebellious act."

My heart stopped. "President Snow…I realize what that may seem like. But, being in the Games, you lose your head at times. Trust me, not a day goes by that I don't regret doing it. I'm so sorry for that. I just got angry, angry that Fiona was gone, angry that Stryder and everyone was gone. Trust me, I didn't mean anything by it."

"Oh, I'm sure you do regret it. I just don't think it's for the reasons you say you do. And the thing is, that's not the only problem. Forge, in his own way, betrayed the Capitol. He saved your life, something everyone in the Districts saw. You're creating a spark, just like Katniss did."

"Not on purpose."

"Perhaps not, but you're creating on just the same. And I believe I only see one solution to it."

"Don't kill my family! Please, whatever you do, don't make them pay for my actions!"

"Oh, I'm not interested in them. And I'm not interested in Katniss either. Gale, you are moving to the Capitol."

"What?"

"You will leave District 12, never to return. Katniss will be banned from visiting the Capitol, save during the Hunger Games, and during that time, you will be watched closely to make sure you two do not see each other. This way, I can keep you apart, and eliminate any spark you have created. You will publicly announce that you and Katniss have decided to call off your romantic relationship."

"You're saying…that I will never see her in person again?"

"Oh yes Gale. You will live in the Capitol, and you will never say another word to your precious Katniss ever again."

**That's right! The story's not over yet! Coming soon, a sequel to the 76th Hunger Games! The bad news is that I haven't even started yet. I've been busy trying to finish up other stories for another site. I'll get it up as soon as possible, but it may be a week or so. Don't know what it will be called, so just check my profile every few days for the story which will be labled a sequel. And as a thank you for reading, here's a sneak preview!**

_Several weeks have passed, and I'm now living in the Capitol. Katniss and I were forced to announce on camera that we were ending our relationship. Everyone was crushed, but I couldn't care less. What matters is Katniss and I. Here, I'm forced to date other girls, kiss them, act like I'm falling in love. But if I don't, President Snow will care everyone I care about, though at this point, I'd think it would be better for Katniss. She's sunken into a depression, and I don't know what to do. I haven't seen her in weeks. Thanks to Haymitch, Effie, and Mom, we've been able to send letters, but it's not enough. I want her with me, want to hear her voice, feel her arms around my neck. But I never will, according to Snow. I miss the woods, miss the quietness of District 12. But most of all, I miss Katniss. I have to get back to her, have to give her the life she's always wanted. And there's only one way to do that. The Capitol must come down._

**Thanks so much to everyone for reading and reviewing my story, and I hope to see you back for the coming sequel!**


End file.
